Murder on Monday (1952) User Reviews

Strangely unsettling

[manuel-pestalozzi · 8/10 · 24 February 2006]

Many seem to dismiss this movie as a mild matinée entertainment. I found it very unsettling as the story deliberately starts with a normal, boring situation only to depart from normality in an abrupt and disturbing way to offer a glare into the abyss of the human psyche. The first two or three minutes the viewer is given time to settle down for something that looks like a comedy. A cheerful caricature of a meek office clerk (Ralph Richardson) comes home. He meets his wife desperate, she tells him he has disappeared for 24 hours. The clerk is not aware of that.

Now, this is a standard situation for a comedy. But in this movie the couple in question is simply shattered. Time you cannot account for is regarded by them as abnormal, a potential sin. Distrust arises, the wife distrusts her husband and, what's worse, the husband distrusts himself. The situation gets worse when the clerk learns that a member of a club he belongs to was murdered during the time in question. In desperation he goes to see a doctor (Jack Hawkins) and tells him of his memory loss and the murder. He also tells him that he thinks he might have committed the murder. As the doctor tries to laugh that off the clerk says: But I absolutely hated that man. He does that with an unexpected vehemence that it really made me jump.

The riddle can be solved and the story has a happy ending. The clerk's amnesia was caused by subconscious memories of bombing raids, a backfiring car made him go into shock for 24 hours, luckily in a „safe place" (a pub). As a matter of fact, the discovery of this hidden vulnerability is horrific and was probably not uncommon the time this movie was made. And the way the main protagonist practically bends over double to put blame on himself is heart-wrenching. Ralph Richardson gives a deep, feeling performance in this unusual psychological drama about guilt, trust, order and disorder. He also directed.

Amnesia, murder and a sweet married couple

[XhcnoirX · 7/10 · 19 August 2016]

Ralph Richardson arrives home from work at seven as he does every day, where he finds his wife Margaret Leighton sobbing. When she shows him the newspaper, it hits him: it's not Monday evening but Tuesday evening! He's been missing for an entire day, and he has no recollection of where he's been. While trying to figure out what happened with family doctor Jack Hawkins, they get news that the safe of Richardson's social club has been robbed, and a steward at the club murdered. Inspector Campbell Singer is investigating and all clues seem to lead to Richardson...

Based on a play by R.C. Sheriff (and inspired by personal experiences) that also starred Richardson ('The Fallen Idol'), this is the sole movie that he directed. Which is quite a remarkable feat as he's in almost every scene. He does a very nice job tho, both in front of and behind the camera. He gives a great restrained performance and Leighton ('The Good Die Young') is perfectly cast as his wife. Together they make one of the sweetest couples I've seen lately, with some very touching scenes (esp the one where he tries to prepare her for life without him, while having tea and toast). The resolution of Richardson's predicament is quite satisfying and also adds depth to the movie and Richardson's psyche. It also shows how an innocent little white lie between husband and wife (and this one really is innocent), can have grave consequences...

Richardson's directing and the camera work by Jack Hilyard ('The Bridge On The River Kwai') and Edward Scaife ('Night of The Demon') is straight-forward and devoid of flourishes but efficient and solid. It's not the most exciting movie ever made as it is primarily dialogue-driven, but it's a good uber-British stiff upper lip take on an amnesia noir thriller, with excellent and touching performances by Richardson and Leighton. Recommended. 7/10

British Gold Nugget from the 1950's

[barryrd · 7/10 · 26 January 2009]

Ralph Richardson, who both directs and acts in this film, has taken a simple story that depicts a short period in the life of a middle-class couple in post-war England whose routine is suddenly disrupted by the memory lapse of the husband. The story is brought to life by the acting of the three main actors - Richarson and Margaret Leighton as the couple and the medical doctor, Jack Hawkins.

A veteran of World War II (1939-45), the dutiful husband is stricken with an anxiety attack that causes him to relive his days in battle. When this mental episode is over, he cannot remember what happened for a full 24-hour period. Husband and wife are perplexed and anxious by this sudden turn of events. They turn to their understanding family doctor for an explanation. The doctor, Jack Hawkins, is sympathetic and not overly worried but eager to find out the source of the problem.

As it turns out, a theft and murder occurred that seem to implicate the husband or so the couple fears. Lies and cover-ups complicate the matter and the couple become so upset that they make things worse for themselves. The couple are so used to their routine that a sudden and unexplained twist becomes exaggerated. The story presents us with a puzzle and the reaction of two decent but somewhat docile human beings, who feel they will be unfairly targeted by the authorities. However, the police go about their work very calmly and before long everything is explained.

The movie is a throwback to a time when ordinary people enjoyed simple pleasures like going to their club, or taking in the "pictures" and growing their chrysanthemums in the adjoining greenhouse garden...so very British.

It is these very ordinary people that I have a great sympathy and admiration for in our often self-serving world. Nothing extraordinary about the movie or the couple but almost 60 years on, the acting still makes it a delight to watch.

A delightful British mystery.

[val-54 · 2 November 1999]

This truly enjoyable film portrays the frustrations of a mild mannered clerk embroiled in a mystery that has occurred outside of his memory. Most entertaining is Ralph Richardson, perfectly cast a the staid, banker living a life of ritualistic routine that has been turned upside down. He has that natural gift of absolute clear speech - even in the most dramatic moments and is a pleasure to watch. His reparte with the investigating inspector is most engaging. To bad this movie is unavailable on video.

Standard formula, old-school murder mystery

[daniele-iannarelli · 6/10 · 16 June 2019]

Intriguing old-school murder mystery, with a nice angle on an old theme.

The story was reasonably well-presented although I feel the amnesia theme was considerably better handled in the classic Ronald Colman/Greer Garson movie "Random Harvest" (1942).

The film is competently directed by Richardson although, accomplished actor that he is, I wasn't too impressed with his performance in this movie. I felt his portrayal was a bit - let's say - 'overdone'.

The wonderful Jack Hawkins is his usual wonderful self, but I think he'd have been much better cast as the detective inspector rather than the doctor.

The lovely Margaret Leighton, as the Richardson character's wife may easily be perceived (looking from today's standards) as perhaps a little strange and overly submissive, but it must be understood that this film reflects early 1950s sensibilities.

This film follows the old-school, standard formula of:

Missing person - Murder - False accusation - Mystery solved - Happy ever after.

Unfortunately, the film fails to allow us privy to the mechanisms of the detective work through which the mystery is solved. We're merely made aware that the true killer has been found, with a superficial indication of how... but no real substance.

Regardless, the film is enjoyable. I think it deserves a 6.5/10 so, as half-points are not possible... it's a 6/10.

Margaret Leighton and Jack Hawkins are wonderful

[JuguAbraham · 6/10 · 19 March 2020]

Though this movie ought to be mainly credited to Ralph Richardson as actor and director, his contribution is totally overshadowed by the performances of the late Margaret Leighton and the late Jack Hawkins.

Ms Leighton, playing the loving wife, is eye candy and exhibits her talent for acting (contrast her negative roles in Ford's "The 7 Women" and Hitchcock's "Under Capricorn" and the wonderful, unusual role in Forbes' "The Madwoman of Chaillot".) Mr Hawkins is equally wonderful to watch.

Otherwise as a film, it is average entertainment--a film on post-war PTSD made decades before the disorder came into the limelight.

Home after Seven.

[morrison-dylan-fan · 7/10 · 23 December 2015]

Taking a look at UK DVD company Network during their Christmas sale for titles that I could watch with my dad over the X-Mas season,I spotted a Film Noir that I remembered reading a good review for in Empire magazine,which mentioned that this was the lone movie that British actor Ralph Richardson directed,which led to me setting my clock so I could get home and watch the title at 7.

The plot:

Returning home,banker David Preston starts talking to his wife Janet about how work went.Stopping David in the middle of his stories,Janet asks David where he has been,due to having been away from home (and at work) for an entire day.Telling Janet that he does not know what she is talking about,David picks up the newspaper,and is shocked to discover that he has missed an entire day.Trying to piece together what took place,David finds himself unable to remember anything that happened on his lost day.As he tries to make sense of what has taken place,the police discovery that a member of David's private members club has been found murdered,and that the entire savings of the club have mysteriously disappeared.

View on the film:

Before I get to the movie,I have to mention that Network have given the title a superb transfer,with the picture being pin-stripe sharp and every forgotten footstep from David being clear to hear.

For his lone shot behind the camera, Ralph Richardson (joined by Assistant Director/future Bond director Guy Hamilton) keeps the movie close to its stage roots,as long,stilted takes peel away at David's anxiety over the events that took place.Whilst he does keep things grounded,Richardson boils up a classy Film Noir atmosphere,as elegant low-lighting brightens the fragments of David's memory.

Taking R.C. Sheriff's play from the stage to the screen, Anatole de Grunwald gives David & Janet a perfect image,which gradually fractures as David tries to regain his memory.Calming opening up David's "perfect" image, Grunwald casts David off into a shattered post-war Film Noir world,with a wonderfully left-field twist allowing David's PTSD nightmare to be shown in raw daylight. Appearing prim and proper, Richardson gives a great performance as David,whose mild-manner behaviour is given a sharp sense of doubt by Richardson,as David fails to get home at 7.

Dinner at Eight, Jail by Nine.

[mark.waltz · 7/10 · 15 April 2014]

Losing 24 hours of one's life can be quite frustrating, especially when the man you despise beyond words ends up dead during that time, the victim of obvious murder. For banker Ralph Richardson (who also directed this interesting sleeper), it's even more frustrating because he doesn't realize he's lost the whole day between his routine life thrown off by the incident. When he ends up being questioned for the murder, it seems hopeless and he makes preparations for the worst with his devoted wife (Margaret Leighton).

This British play is well directed and acted in a stagy but enjoyable manner. At times, it seems like a light comedy, even though the situation is extremely serious. The murder plot concerns Richardson's club of which he is treasurer, and the theft of the club's funds, which Richardson had direct access to. A film like this can be messed up very easily by a silly conclusion, which this fortunately avoids.

Slow starter

[mikrift · 7/10 · 20 August 2023]

Very slow to gain momentum, but once it does it chugs along at an acceptable pace. Richardson may be an impeccable Shakespearean actor, but on the big screen he is far less convincing. Leighton excels as the dutiful wife who will do anything for her suffering husband. Of course we laugh at those traits in this modern age of feminism, but what a comfort dutiful wives must have been for men of that era. The plot is very predictable and somewhat rigid given the base cause: (amnesia), but it is handled very well by the direction of Richardson that you could be excused for mistaking it for a Hitchcock movie. All in all, an enjoyable film.

Harrowing and Extraordinarily Accurate Portrayal of a Mental 'Fugue State'

[robert-temple-1 · 10/10 · 12 January 2010]

This is certainly one of the most accurate portrayals on film of what psychologists call a 'fugue state', which is a dissociative disorder of human consciousness caused by a mental trauma. In this story, a perfectly ordinary bank executive played by Ralph Richardson experiences amnesia for a 24-hour period of his life, with disastrous consequences. Every evening, after leaving his job in the City of London, Richardson takes the train from Cannon Street Station and arrives home in the suburbs at seven. One Tuesday, he arrives home at seven to find his wife, played brilliantly by Margaret Leighton, in a terrible state of anxiety bordering on hysteria. She asks him where he has been, why he did not come home the night before, why was he not at work at the bank all day, and she informs him that she called the police and reported him missing. He is incredulous and says that she is talking nonsense, that here he is precisely at seven as always, and it is Monday, not Tuesday. But she shows him the newspaper and proves that it is really Tuesday. Thus the story begins, and everything becomes increasingly desperate and harrowing from there on. This is the first and only film directed by Ralph Richardson, and he has done a superb job of it. He received expert support from cameramen Jack Hildyard and Ted Scaife, with camera operator Denys Coop, and Assistant Director Guy Hamilton, all of whom later became famous. Although the film is not showy and does not have dramatic lighting and editing, the emphasis is on the story and the actors, which creates a considerable intensity, as the performances are all so good. The doctor who attempts to sort out Richardson's 'missing day' is expertly played by Jack Hawkins, who was always one of the most reliable as well as agreeable of British actors, whether as a lead or in a supporting role, as here. The reason why this film is so convincing and so accurate in its portrayal of this psychological condition is that it is based upon a play by R. C. Sheriff. Sheriff is chiefly famous for his play JOURNEY'S END, which was filmed in 1930 and subsequently three more times. It is a gripping film about the trenches of the First World War, based on Sheriff's own Army experiences prior to his being invalided out after the Battle of Ypres. (It is a superb film. I taped it off the air years ago but gave my tape to John Mills, who asked me for it because he wanted to see it again, as he had been touring in that play as a young man when he met his wife in Shanghai because she and her father Colonel Hayley Bell attended a performance, and it was love at first sight. He thus considered that in a way he owed his happy marriage to R. C. Sheriff.) Sheriff had a direct and personal experience of such matters as shell shock and the fugue states caused by battle trauma, which he put to good use in HOME AT SEVEN, since the explanation of Richardson's fugue state is eventually found to be because he heard a sound like a gunshot, which snapped him into a dissociative state where he imagined he was again under attack in the War. The story was filmed again for television by the BBC five years later, in 1957, with Peter Cushing in the lead. Sheriff's expertise at writing convincing stories about strange mental states was shown in the film THE NIGHT MY NUMBER CAME UP (1955). That is a film I know a great deal about indeed, as it is based upon a real paranormal experience of my close friend Air Marshal Sir Victor Goddard (who made a speech at my wedding), with whom I discussed both the experience and the film on many occasions. Sir Victor believed Sheriff had done a very good job of portraying his story in dramatic form, and that was Sheriff's great strength. He also wrote the famous ODD MAN OUT (1947) with James Mason, and he adapted the two excellent Somerset Maugham story compilation films, QUARTET (1948) and TRIO (1950). And of course he did the screenplays for the classics THE INVISIBLE MAN (1933), GOODBYE, MR. CHIPS (1939), and THE DAM BUSTERS (1955). He really was a giant of British stage and screen, and deserves to be better remembered. He died in 1975. This film does a first rate job of putting the story across, in a state of high anxiety and suspense. It turns out that for all the years of his marriage, Richardson had been telling a little white lie to his wife by saying he left work at 6, whereas he really left work at 5 and stopped off in the back room of a pub run by friends (as pubs only opened at 6) for a friendly and very tame sherry, and a game of darts. He didn't care to tell his wife lest he offend her, as she 'disapproved of alcoholic drinks'. This is Richardson's one guilty secret, surely the tamest one ever featuring as a major plot element in a suspense film! But because of it, no one can figure out where Richardson was for his 24 lost hours, and he is wrongly suspected of theft and murder. This film should be shown to psychology students at universities. I have made a considerable study of dissociative psychological states, and I can assure everyone that every detail of this film is accurate, clearly because it is based upon a real case or cases known to Sheriff, and possibly even others known to Richardson, thus perhaps explaining Richardson's strange enthusiasm for the story. It is always better when films about psychological cases such as amnesia and dissociation of personality are based upon facts, for then they are convincing and effective, as this is.

Obvious casting error

[stowner-479-360153 · 6/10 · 4 December 2023]

I really wanted to like this film given its postwar London setting and stellar acting talent. However it was so dull and even cringeworthy in a number of places that the people I was watching it with looked at each other in disbelief. RR plays a bank worker with a terrible secret and a strange penchant for going to the pub every evening after work without informing his wife. JH plays a fairly dull GP with very little to say or do. It's patently obvious that the casting director cast the roles the wrong way around. Both actors would have been much better suited to playing the other role. It's still worth a watch but only if you are a fan of low profile b&w British films of this period, like me. The musical soundtrack by Malcolm Arnold is great in places.

Master of the Everyman

[kidboots · 9/10 · 25 March 2016]

No one could portray the ordinary man plunged into extraordinary circumstances quite like Ralph Richardson. This movie may not appear on any best movie lists but believe me, every performer contributes to make this a gem. The whimsical opening, the tinkling music, Ralph Richardson's fussy little suburban 9 to 5 office worker masks it's genre - I initially thought it was a comedy but within minutes you are thrown into the dramatic world of amnesia.

David Preston is always home at seven but tonight his hysterical wife falls into his arms, Richardson lulling the viewer into a false sense of security just by his look of disbelief. Janet is frantic - she hadn't seen him since he left for work - the day before!! She has already called the police and consulted their concerned Dr. Sparling (Jack Hawkins) who, when he examines David finds he really has no idea about the last lost day. Jack Hawkins is just terrific - he just never doubts David's story and looks at things in a logical manner. Into this mix comes darker elements, David's neighbour, an old colonel pops over to inquire if David has the treasury funds that one of the other club members saw him holding last night. This shadowy, mysterious member (who David has developed a real hatred for) has lost no time in hurrying to the neighbour's house to inform on him. A short time later the man's body is found on some waste ground...but where is the money???

So many tantalizing tit bits so beloved by British "little" movies turn up. When Janet rings up David's work she is informed that his working day finishes at 5 - not 6, so where does he go for that hour (a perfectly innocent reason). Then when things get grim and a solicitor is called in, Janet has to confess that in reality they are poor - David has been paying back money over the years that his father absconded with. Margaret Leighton matches Richardson in intensity and emotion. From her first appearance she is keyed up to fever pitch and her quavering edginess never leaves her. She is brilliant.

Among the memorable scenes - the one where David reveals his true feelings about the mystery member, Richardson has you believing that's the way he really feels - to listen to his emotion was really unsettling. Another, when David realises that he may soon face prison, he tries to organise his business affairs in a calm and rational manner, all the while Janet's nerves are being strung to breaking point and then they plan to spend the evening at the pictures!!

Such a tribute to Richardson's acting, he never drops his character for a moment - even at the very end when everything has been settled, you know he doesn't really understand what has happened and will always be wondering about that missing day!!

Just brilliant!

Lacking suspense but interesting

[sharonjudithlee · 6/10 · 20 May 2021]

This film was more interesting to think about afterwards than to watch at the time, as it was overlong and lacked suspense. The turning point rests on 'a little lie', which may be a plot device, but which is meant to seem perfectly harmless and acceptable. But I do wonder, whether even in 1952, such a lie wouldn't be harmful to this devoted childless couple. But then the film is more about the effects of war on a man than a study of marriage. The user reviews have all been helpful when thinking about this film thank you.

Long-winded

[Leofwine_draca · 4/10 · 14 July 2019]

HOME AT SEVEN is a film featuring a perennial favourite plot - the 'amnesia' storyline in which the protagonist arrives home only to discover that his missing memory coincides with robbery and murder. Is he himself responsible, or has he been set up? Sadly, this is a lesser outing for the genre, a studio-bound and dialogue-heavy story which is quite frankly boring for large swathes of the running time. Ralph Richardson as actor is fine, but Ralph Richardson as director is far less assured, failing to invest his picture with the necessary suspense to make it interesting. The supporting cast features typically strong performances from old-timer Michael Shepley alongside Jack Hawkins, but there's no getting around this film's long-windedness and the fact that the eventual solving of the mystery is all exposition.

A Gentle Little British Thriller.

[MIKE-WILSON6 · 19 June 2001]

A long forgotten British film, that has David Preston ( Ralph Richardson) as a lowly bank clerk, who returns home, as usual, only to be told by his wife, that he has been missing for 24 hours.

He slowly starts to come to terms with what has happened, only to find out that the steward of his local club has been murdered, and that he has been implicated. Margaret Leighton as his wife, and Campbell Singer,as the police inspector give good support. I find these films from 40's and 50's fascinating, as they show a way of life that has long since disappeared.

Smashingly good British mystery drama with a great cast

[SimonJack · 9/10 · 9 October 2021]

"Home at Seven " (aka, Murder on Monday) is a smashingly good mystery drama. This is such a different plot, that I don't want to take away the surprise of the film by even doing a review with spoilers. I suspect that those who enjoy very good mysteries would not want even an inkling of how this story plays out. Others may want to read another review that has spoilers or reveals some of the details.

But for my contribution here, I'll just say that this is a superb British mystery drama with a cast that includes some of England's best actors of the time. Besides starring as David Preston, Ralph Richardson directed this wonderful film. It was his only such venture behind the camera. Margaret Leighton is his wife, Janet. Jack Hawkins plays Dr. Sparling, Michael Shepley is Major Watson, Meriel Forbes is Peggy Dobson, and Campbell Singer is Inspector Hemingway.

This is a fine film that shows superb acting in dramas sans police chases, running from the law, hiding out, and other actions. The film is based on a play by the title, "Home at Seven," by R. C. Sherriff.

The film is a good reminder that a lie usually leads to misery for the one who tells it. Or, put more poignantly, the truth never hurts anyone.

Compelling British mystery

[AlsExGal · 8/10 · 23 March 2024]

Ralph Richardson stars (he also directs) as a man with a problem. He comes home from work one Monday night and finds his wife (Margaret Leighton) in a tizzy. It seems it's actually Tuesday and he's been missing for more than 24 hours. As the plot unfolds, we also learn that funds from a social club he's in are missing and that the bookkeeper has been killed. Hmmm. Richardson has a memory blackout and cannot account for his actions.

Luckily in 1952, we were a kinder world (at least in the movies) and a kindly physician (Jack Hawkins) patiently helps him remember events. An equally patient and kind police inspector (Campbell Singer) also helps him sift through the facts and clues. Amid all this patience, his neighbor and club president (Michael Shepley) is only too glad to jump to conclusions. But patient wife Leighton remains staunch.

As the mystery is unraveled, we find that Richardson is not exactly the man we all thought he was, but that he, like all of us, has a few secrets. Late in the film, Meriel Forbes as Peggy arrives on the doorstep and reveals a few things about Richardson. She also steals the film.

Verbose

[dierregi · 4/10 · 11 May 2022]

It starts with the overused but intriguing convenient amnesia episode, with Dave, a man who arrives home after an ordinary day of work at the bank, only to discover that he has lost a full 24 hours. His loving wife on the brink of despair tells him that he left Monday morning as usual, only to come back Tuesday evening.

From then on the plot develops in the most verbose way. Dave, the bank clerk is visited by a sympathetic doctor at home and advised to take a day off, then on Wednesday morning he discovers that a murder was committed on Monday night and he could be the guilty part.

There follows a hundred explanations between Dave and his wife, Dave and his neighbour, Dave and the police inspector and more with the doctor, a lawyer and so on. A very un-cinematic movie, due to the fact that it was a theatrical release (I think I read somewhere) but could as well have been a radio play, with little tension, despite the good premise and the excellent cast.

Stagey but surprisingly good.

[MOscarbradley · 8/10 · 8 June 2020]

It's not uncommon for actors to direct themselves in films but many do it only once, perhaps because they believe in a project, either as vehicle for themselves or just as a vehicle worth bringing to the screen. In 1952 Ralph Richardson felt the need to direct a film of R. C. Sherriff's play "Home at Seven" casting himself as the bank clerk who has a 24 hour memory lapse and then finds himself inplicated in a murder.

It's a good plot and if Richardson handles it in a somewhat theatrical fashion he, at least, draws first-rate performances from his cast while he is outstanding as the clerk. After Olivier, I've always felt Richardson was the finest of the theatrical knights to make it in the movies and he doesn't disappoint here. It's a wonderful performance and Margaret Leighton and Jack Hawkins are just as good as his fretting wife and the doctor who tries to help him. The plot itself may be a little far-fetched but the treatment is excellent making this one of the best and certainly one of the most underrated British films of the period.

A delightful little film

[bensonmum2 · 8/10 · 20 December 2020]

David Preston (Ralph Richardson) arrives home from work on Monday night just as he always does - or so he thinks. He's shaken when he learns that it's really Tuesday night and he cannot account for the last 24 hours. He's doubly troubled to learn that a man he didn't care for was murdered and a witness swears that Preston was the last person seen talking to the man. Can Preston rediscover the lost day and clear his name?

Overall, Murder on Monday (or Home at Seven) is a delightful little film. I enjoyed almost every second. There are two things I can point to that make this film stand out - the acting and the writing. Richardson is perfect as the man trying to discover what's happened to him. You can see the confusion etched across his face. He's joined by the lovely Margaret Leighton as his wife, Janet. I can't explain how much I enjoyed her performance. From the fretting over her husband to the joy she expresses when there appears to be some good news, she's divine. Together, the pair make the perfect on-screen couple. The scene where Preston, over tea and toast, tries to tell Janet how to carry on if something should happen to him is a great example of their on-screen chemistry. They are ably joined by Jack Hawkins, Campbell Singer, and Meriel Forbes in supporting roles. As for the writing, well, I've already used this word, but Anatole de Grumwald's screenplay is simply delightful. The story was intriguing and suspenseful enough that it held my attention throughout. The little pieces of the mystery that point to Preston's guilt unfold nicely. And the solution to the mystery wasn't so far-fetched that I couldn't buy into it. It's a solid piece of writing.

Not only did he star, but this the sole directing credit from Richardson's long career. I'm really shocked because I thought he did a fantastic job. Murder on Monday could easily feel "stagey", but Richardson kept things moving at a nice pace. I never once got that claustrophobic feeling you can get from such a small set. And the movie looks amazing. I was so impressed with little things like some of the shots through windows out to the street. Nice stuff.

8/10

Verbose Mystery

[GManfred · 3 July 2010]

I wonder how much dialogue you can squeeze into an 80 minute movie. "Home At Seven" tries its darnedest to break the record, in a film that is long on discussions but short on action.

It starts with a great idea. A man comes home from work, to discover that he has missed an entire day, during which a murder has been committed. So far, so good. But I found out that it is almost possible to talk a good idea to death, as there follows an endless collection of discussions, confrontations, meetings and heart to heart talks. Now, I understand that in such a situation explanations must be in order, but the whole movie began to seem like a 3 hour ordeal.

Ralph Richardson is the hapless husband and Margaret Leighton is wonderful as his devoted wife. Jack Hawkins is their doctor-friend and all three principals try their best to move things along. Granted, it is a clever concept and ultimately brought to a surprise ending, but it's not a good sign when you keep checking your watch throughout the picture.

But it is well worth a look, especially if you have more patience than myself.

Ralph Richardson awful

[duncanjbrooks · 5/10 · 5 January 2021]

I like and respect Ralph Richardson as much as the next film-viewer, but the plaudits his acting receives in many of the reviews of this film on here are simply astonishing. His acting in this film is just awful - it might well have been passable when he did it on stage like this, but transferred to the far-more-realistic medium of film it appears stilted, clichéd and hammy. Margaret Leighton is decently good by the standards of the era, and Jack Hawkins is unsurprisingly his ultra-reliable self - a top-notch actor by any standards whatsoever. The direction, etc., makes it look not-too-stagey for what is still, obviously, a stage-play.

Worthwhile Drama

[JANMAYFEB1 · 8/10 · 2 May 2021]

Just having Ralph Richardson in the cast can elevate any movie. He is always so authentic. His performances are nuanced and excellent. He makes this tale more believable than many other actors might have. The viewer is drawn into the story and caused to really want to know: what on earth happened in those missing 24 hours?

What A Difference A Day Made

[writers_reign · 8/10 · 4 September 2016]

Yet again Network do movie buffs a favour with the re release of what was, at the time, a main feature and the fact that it came and went without causing a stir says much about the early fifties and I think the farm is safe when I bet it that dozens of movies released around the same time to acres of newsprint are unwatchable today whilst Home At Seven proves very durable. It's a great pity that Ralph Richardson didn't direct himself more on film as he shows the vastly overrated Laurence Olivier how it should be done. With a sound basis in the theatre this engaging 'well-made play' by R.C. Sheriff is an excellent vehicle for Richardson who never puts a foot wrong as a victim of temporary amnesia who 'loses' a full twenty-four hours of his hum-drum life completely unaware - and very plausibly. In real life of course this would be distressing at worst but because this is real life heightened by a dramatist a certain spin is applied via the coincidental murder of a man openly despised by Richardson plus the theft of money for which Richardson, as Treasurer of a local club, has responsibility. Needless to say the matter is resolved happily but not before offering a time-capsule of a way of life now as remote as Atlantis.

Like watching a radio play

[grahamclarke · 4/10 · 14 August 2006]

"Home at Seven" is the one and only film that Ralph Richardson directed. I would hazard a guess that at the last moment the original director was unavailable and someone suggested to Sir Ralph that he try his hand.

You would be hard pressed to find a cinematically more bland, not to mention boring film that this. There is no use at all of lighting or camera movement to enhance to plot, (which certainly could do with some enhancement). It's tantamount to watching a radio play.

True there are three top actors at work in Richardson, Margaret Leighton and Jack Hawkins. But it's all so pedestrian that even they hardly make this one to look out for.