Alibi is a 1942 British mystery film directed by Brian Desmond Hurst and starring Margaret Lockwood, James Mason and Hugh Sinclair.[1] It was based on the novel L'Alibi by Marcel Achard.[2]

Alibi
U.S. poster
Directed byBrian Desmond Hurst
Written byRoy Carter
Jacques Companéez
Brian Desmond Hurst (shooting script)
Herbert Juttke
Lesley Storm (additional dialogue)
Based onL'Alibi
by Marcel Achard
Produced byJosef Somlo
Herbert Smith (associate producer)
StarringMargaret Lockwood
Hugh Sinclair
James Mason
Raymond Lovell
CinematographyOtto Heller
William McLeod
Edited by
Music byJack Beaver
Production
companies
Distributed byBritish Lion Film Corporation (UK)
Release date
  • 10 August 1942 (1942-08-10) (UK)
Running time
82 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

Premise edit

Police hunt for the killer of a nightclub hostess in pre-war Paris.

Cast edit

Production edit

Lockwood had just given birth to her daughter. It was the first time Lockwood worked with James Mason. She said Mason wanted star billing and was unhappy at being given feature billing. She said the film "was anything but a success" but enjoyed working with him saying he "was a wonderful artist and extremely easy to work with. He was one of the people who helped me to enjoy making that rather bad film and to enjoy getting back into the routine of my work again."[3] Lockwood and James Mason would shortly become huge stars with The Man in Grey.

Critical reception edit

In a contemporary review, The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote, "here is a bright film with a bit of everything in it...The film is well directed, and Margaret Lockwood makes an appealing Helene, with James Mason playing opposite to her. Raymond Lovell is first-class as the sinister Winkler, and Rodney Ackland as his assistant and Principal Villain No. 2, plays up to him well, introducing an element of melodrama. The other members of the cast team up to make the whole a creditable production."[4]

References edit

  1. ^ "Alibi (1942)". Archived from the original on 13 January 2009.
  2. ^ Goble, Alan (1 January 1999). The Complete Index to Literary Sources in Film. Walter de Gruyter. ISBN 9783110951943 – via Google Books.
  3. ^ Lockwood, Margaret (1955). Lucky Star: The Autobiography of Margaret Lockwood. Odhams Press Limited. p. 196.
  4. ^ "Alibi (1942)".

External links edit