Post by petrolino on Aug 11, 2017 23:10:15 GMT
'Model For Murder' is an entertaining fashion house mystery from director Terry Bishop who made 'Cover Girl Killer' (1959) the same year. It stars tall man Keith Andes as American sailor-on-leave David Martens who's searching for his deceased brother's fiancee Diana Leigh (Julia Arnall). Martens gets caught up in a scam that leads to murder and the police try to nail him for it.
'Model For Murder' is an engaging programmer with a game cast; strongman Keith Andes gains capable support from Julia Arnall as top house model Diana Leigh, Hazel Court as ice cool dress designer Sally Meadows, Jean Aubrey as versatile studio hand Annabelle Meadows, Patrica Jessel as persistent benefactor Madame Dupont, Peter Hammond as disagreeable photographer George, Edwin Richfield as professional chauffeur Costard and Alfred Burke as hardcore breaker Podd. Stealing the show is Michael Gough as slimy stylist Kingsley Beauchamp whose contempt for everyone and everything seeps from every pore. Check it out if you enjoy a vintage low budget thriller!
Hazel Court with Patricia Laffan in 'Devil Girl From Mars' (1954) :
'Model For Murder' is an engaging programmer with a game cast; strongman Keith Andes gains capable support from Julia Arnall as top house model Diana Leigh, Hazel Court as ice cool dress designer Sally Meadows, Jean Aubrey as versatile studio hand Annabelle Meadows, Patrica Jessel as persistent benefactor Madame Dupont, Peter Hammond as disagreeable photographer George, Edwin Richfield as professional chauffeur Costard and Alfred Burke as hardcore breaker Podd. Stealing the show is Michael Gough as slimy stylist Kingsley Beauchamp whose contempt for everyone and everything seeps from every pore. Check it out if you enjoy a vintage low budget thriller!
"With that I was led by a stage hand to Michael Gough’s dressing room which had his name plate attached to the door. Michael was almost right behind me as he had just arrived almost the same time as I did. Now to try and explain just how surprised I was at how nice this man is in person, I must first explain that we had never met and Gough, while well known in his profession, is not a huge film star whom one sees on chat shows. I had only his film performances to judge what kind of a man he might be. As a result, I was fully expecting a b*tchy prima donna or perhaps an aloof, cold man. Nothing could have prepared me for the Santa Claus that sat in his dressing table, offering me tea and begging forgiveness for not having any scones to go with it. Michael Gough has a wonderful long face that radiates intelligence and wisdom; he resembles if anything an Oxford Don. He is gifted with a beautiful voice, which in private is mellow and soft much like the man himself. He looked at me a moment, as I sat there quite speechless, and asked if anything was wrong; I explained that I half expected him to behave a little like he did in his horror films. Michael laughed and replied “Darling boy, it’s called acting, don’t you know?” Well of course, I felt embarrassed for being such a dope, especially because I had seen several of Michael non-horror films like 'The Horse's Mouth' with Alec Guinness and 'The Go-Between' for director Joseph Losey. Michael explained that he did not have to go on until late in the play so we could chat in his dressing room, and if I liked he would find a little time when the play was over to continue the interview if I needed him to. As I set up the tape recorder and did a test, Michael began to look at his cards and messages that were piled upon his table. On his dressing mirror were postcards from Italy and photos of his children, including a charming snapshot of a beautiful little girl. When I asked if she was his daughter, Michael turned around and put his hand on mine and in whisper like tones said “Yes… she was my daughter Polly, and we lost her in an automobile accident a few months ago: she was stuck down by a car and killed. She was soon to be married.” The grace in his tone of voice with which he offered up his personal tragedy struck me to the quick. My first thought was: “How he could perform under such grief?” Yet somehow I knew he was working because that is what he did, and it was also his way of coping with his loss. This touching moment – which allowed me to care about this charming man more than I ever thought I would in such a short amount of time – was interrupted by well-wishers knocking at his door, paying their respects before the curtain went up."
- David Del Valle, Cinefantastique
- David Del Valle, Cinefantastique
