Information
- BFI identifier23137
- Date1931-06-15 (Release)
- Production countryUnited Kingdom
- Production company
- SynopsisDRAMA. A suicide at a country mansion is proved to be murder despite the murderers supposing that they have left no possible clue. Main title and credits (144). Mr. Laverick posts a letter to Arthur Hilton of Heron Court, Mirfield, Sussex. A house party at Heron Court is in full swing with people swimming and reading. The owner of the house, Arthur Hilton is judging the wine at the local flower and produce show, which most of the guests are going to visit later that afternoon. Mollie, the ward of Hilton and Jimmy, his nephew, go off for a swim after disturbing the Major while sunbathing and Jane reads. Mrs. Green is sailing with Edward Carter her fiance. Mr. Laverick, now at Heron Court, is bird watching but as a swan draws near to bread he has thrown for them he hurls a rock at them. The butler, Adams, calls the guests to lunch. At lunch, Hilton recounts a tale of his policeman days in South Africa when he arrested three men. One was hanged the other two recieved 25 year sentences and vowed vengeance. Asked if they may seek revengeance Hilton is unperturbed and says he keeps a gun in his desk for emergencies. He also agrees to meet Laverick before 4 o'clock to discuss plans for a bird sanctuary. After lunch Mollie and Jimmy go to the library. Jimmy is attempting to write a letter to his tailor introducing Laverick but blots and mispells words. Mollie tears up the letter saying she does not trust Laverick. Carter enters the room and cries off the flower show. Laverick has gone bird watching and meets the postman who refuses to give him the letter addressed to Hilton. At the house all of the guests are getting ready for the flower show. In the end Jimmy and the women go off to the show, The Major goes off shopping and Carter goes for a walk. Hilton stays at home sitting at his desk in the library. Just as the servants are leaving, the postman arrives and Adams take the letter to Hilton. The servants depart for the flower show. Hilton reads the letter and is confused. He writes a letter to Col. Armstrong Brown C.B. of New Scotland Yard enclosing the letter which reads "Final Warning. Each for himself now I have told everything. Clear out while you can". As Hilton seals the letter, Carter enters the room and wants to discuss Laverick (1950) Rl. 2. He warns Hilton about Laverick saying that he knows Laverick has a gun and that he found a letter in Laverick's coat addressed to Norman Fairjoy and signed LJ. Hilton realises that the men he put in jail in South Africa were named Fairjoy and Leonard Johnson. Carter offers to hide behind the curtains to protect Hilton when Laverick arrives. Hilton agrees and gets out his gun. Laverick enters the room and locks the door. He immeadiately pulls a gun and threatens Hilton. However, Carter distracts him and Hilton pulls his own gun, he forces Laverick to drop his gun and gets Carter to ring for the police. The policeman has already set off for the flower show however his son, Sgt. Joe Mallet of Scotland Yard is there. As the 'phone rings Joe picks it up to answer but Carter has moved behind Hilton to give him the reciever as Hilton is about to speak, Carter turns the gun Hilton is holding onto Hilton and shoots him. Joe hears the shot and dashes off to the flower show to get his father. Meanwhile Carter who is really Leonard Johnson and Laverick who is Fairjoy clear away all evidence, including the letter, blotting paper and keeping the 'phone line open. They make the crime look like a case of suicide. As his father is collecting his prize at the show, Joe arrives and tells him what has happened they speed off to Heron Court on a motorcycle and Jimmy rounds up the guests and servants. Owing to the motorcycle, the police arrive earlier than anticipated and Carter cannot check the blotting paper properly and so takes it with him. That evening the village has not been told of the suicide and their is a fireworks party. The house guests are ill at ease and wait to be interrogated by the police. Carter is called for first. He tells the police that he was out walking in the afternoon and that he set his watch at 4 o'clock by the church tower (1853). Rl. 3. Mollie and Jimmy doubt that Hilton committed suicide and set out to prove it. The police then question Major Forthergill, his alibi is established and they then see Laverick. Laverick says he went bird watching and claims to have seen Carter, through his binoculars, checking his watch as the church clock struck four, as he had checked the time by the clock as he was unsure whether it struck four or five. He also gives a detailed description of Carter's activities soon after. Laverick is dismissed and Carter is recalled, he confirms everthing Laverick said. On the terrace Carter announces that the police has given everyone permission to leave the next day. Jimmy and Mollie go to see the police and are told that Hilton committed suicide as all the evidence suggests that. The 'final warning' note was from a blackmailer and rather than pay or face disgrace Hilton had taken his own life. In the hall the maid, Ethel, flirts with Alfred. Jimmy shows the police out and leaves Mollie in the library on his return she gets him to promise to return once everyone is in bed. As promised Jimmy returns to the library and is told by Mollie that the blotting paper has been changed which means that someone was in the room with Hilton. They find the original 'final warning' envelope and realise it has been folded and decide that Hilton had recieved it and then placed it in an envelope to send to the police. During these discussions Laverick sleeps fitfully and is awakened by the clock chiming four and an owl. Mollie and Jimmy try to re-enact the crime and decide the murderer must have had local knowledge and been in London the previous day so as to post the letter, they both realise that it must be Laverick. Jimmy has Mallet's notebook and together he and Mollie go through the evidence. At first they are perplexed by the fact that both Carter and Laverick have alibis unless they are both liars and both committed the murder (1901). Rl. 3. Meanwhile, Carter is destroying the evidence; he burns the letter Hilton wrote and just as he is about to burn the blotting paper he is disturbed by a knock at the door. Mrs. Green enters and wants Carter to read her evidence that she has written for the police after acussing him of burning love letters. He says that only the police should read it and that she should place it in an envelope and sign it. She sits down to write but has no ink she leaves the room looking for ink and takes the blotting paper with her. Jimmy and Mollie are still trying to work out the alibis when Jimmy hits on the solution. He realises that it would be impossible for Laverick to see Carter checking his watch after hearing the church clock and first checking the time himself. They both realise that the two men are liars as both alibis are dependent on one another. Mrs. Green enters the library looking for some ink and tells the couple that she has just discovered Carter burning his old love letters, they realise he is burning the evidence. Mrs Green retires but leaves the blotting paper. Mollie and Jimmy then remember the story at lunch concerning the criminals in South Africa. Mollie becomes scared and stiffles a scream. They hear someone coming and hide behind the curtains. Carter enters and picks up the blotting paper then leaves the room. Carter goes to Laverick's bedroom followed by Jimmy and Mollie who slip into the next room to hear the conversation. Carter warns Laverick about the young couple and arranges for him to leave early the next day, Carter will stay on a little later and they will meet in London on Thursdy. Carter returns to his own room and Jimmy and Mollie concieve a plan. The next morning the house guests are all readying themselves to leave. Adams and Alfred help load the luggage of Mrs. Green and the Major who then leave. Mollie has her hand in a sling and is unable to shake hands with Laverick as Jimmy drives him to the station. Jane talks to Carter in the library and bids him goodbye. In the hall she says goodbye to Mollie. Mollie enters the library and locks the door behind her and under the guise of dropping her brooch slips the key under the door to Jane on the other side. She begins talking to Carter saying the sling is not needed now as she only wore it so as to avoid shaking hands with Laverick who she nows knows to be a murderer. Jimmy meanwhile drives Laverick to Mallet's house and once there accuses Laverick of theft. Mallet on searching the luggage discovers the jewelry 'stolen' from Mollie. Jimmy insists they all return to Heron Court in order to see the Superintendant soon due at the house. Mallet agrees and Laverick is forced to return. In the library Mollie explains that she has evidence to convict Laverick, namely the blotting paper which she has hidden (1858). Rl. 5. Carter threatens Mollie with a gun in order to gain the evidence. She bluffs him by pretending a policeman has entered the room he looks round and Mollie pretends to have a gun. He realises she is pretending and says he will not fall for the same trick again. The police arrive and Jane tells them to be quiet and listen, they hear Carter threatening Mollie with a gun demanding she turn over the evidence. Mollie pulls the same trick by saying that a policeman has entered the room - in reality Jane has. He refuses to believe her and Jane slips behind the curtain. Finally, Mollie agrees to turn over the evidence and does so. Once he has the evidence Carter is more forthcoming and explains about the blotting paper and the murder. Once again Mollie plays the same trick and asks Jane to come out. Carter laughs but is confused when Jane speaks. He threatens both of the women with the gun but they reveal that the bullets were removed while he was bathing. They also reveal that the evidence is worthless as it is not the real blotting paper. Mollie tells him to go, he leaves the library and is arrested by the police just as Laverick is brought in. Jimmy goes to Mollie who is crying and aks her to marry him. The End (947) (7699ft). Note: Released in the USA as PERFECT ALIBI. (Shotlist) A young couple solve a murder at a country house. (Synopsis)
- Work historyFirst English sound film in which the camera booth was dispensed with, and a camera dolly was used instead. A credit in the opening titles reads: "Stars of the British stage and screen photographed under American supervision and produced by Basil Dean in England in the second Associated Radio picture.
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- Subject
- CreditsDirection: Basil Dean
Production Company: ARP
Distributed in the United Kingdom by: Radio Pictures Limited
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Title
Birds of Prey (Original)
The Fourth Wall (Working)
The Perfect Alibi (Alternative)
EIDR identifier
10.5240/A412-35B5-4897-D1AE-4961-7Category
FictionThis work is included in the BFI Filmography.
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35mm BW Positive - Safety - Combined - Viewing
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Work - 23137 - 1931-06-15 (Release)
United Kingdom - Film - Fiction
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