THE TECKMAN MYSTERY

 

Kino is back again with the BRIT NOIR COLLECTION IV Blu-ray set. Once again three lesser-known black & white British crime dramas are featured on two discs. 

The first film in this set that I viewed was THE TECKMAN MYSTERY, a 1954 story written by thriller author Francis Durbridge. Mystery writer Phillip Chance (John Justin) is tasked to write a biography of a pilot named Martin Teckman, who supposedly was killed in a crash involving an experimental aircraft. Chance soon finds out that some one, or some group, does not want Teckman's story told. Chance joins forces with Teckman's sister Helen (Margaret Leighton) to find out why he is being pressured not to write the book, and if Teckman himself may still be alive. 

It took awhile for THE TECKMAN MYSTERY to get going. The first part of the film is very talky, and despite this title being placed in a Noir set, most of the scenes take place in brightly lit rooms. The story perks up toward the end, with a sequence taking place outside the Tower of London, and a climax that in a way anticipates the ending of VERTIGO. 

THE TECKMAN MYSTERY also has another major Hitchcock element--it feels very much like one of the movies made by the Master of the Suspense in England during the 1930s, with its somewhat lighthearted attitude and quirky characters. John Justin's Phillip Chance is a sardonic fellow who at times borders on being annoying. (He even has a manservant that he trades quips with.) The revelation of the person behind all the dastardly doings is a big surprise (I certainly didn't guess it), and the experimental plane subplot adds a Cold War aspect to the proceedings. 

Margaret Leighton does very well in the important role of Helen (after watching the film you'll know why she deserves first billing). Hammer fans will spot among the supporting cast Raymond Huntley (THE MUMMY) and Duncan Lamont (THE EVIL OF FRANKENSTEIN), while Michael Medwin plays almost the exact type of role he essayed in THE INTRUDER, which was included in Kino's BRIT NOIR COLLECTION II set. 

One other unique fact about THE TECKMAN MYSTERY: it was directed by Wendy Toye, one of the very few women who got to direct any sort of theatrical film in Britain during the 1950s. 

Kino presents THE TECKMAN MYSTERY in a 1.66:1 aspect ratio, and as expected, the print is very sharp and clear. The main extras on the BRIT NOIR COLLECTION IV set are new commentaries for each feature. (The other two films on this set are TIME IS MY ENEMY and THEY CAN'T HANG ME, and yes, I plan on eventually writing blogs on both.) 

THE TECKMAN MYSTERY is more light Hitchcock than by-the-book Noir, but I found it to be an inventive puzzler that was certainly worth seeing. The great thing about Kino's BRIT NOIR COLLECTION sets is that they provide film buffs with a number of worthy titles that they wouldn't have been exposed to otherwise.