This is a rather peculiar story.Nigel Davenport is charged with fraud and he believes his best way of getting off the charge is by nobbling the prosecution barrister.Further the barrister seems to take an active part in unravelling the plot.It is all rather strange.After all suppose he succeeded in his plot the Crown would find a barrister of equal stature.Everyone seems to be double crossing everyone else and not even the presence of such well known actors as Davenport,Geoffrey Keen and Conrad Phillips can save this film from sinking in a welter of implausibility.Obviously a story that Wallace only took to write in half an hour rather than the customary hour or two.
The Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre (TV Series)
Return to Sender (1963)
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Return to Sender
Prismark109 September 2021
Dino Steffano (Nigel Davenport) is corporate fraudster who is about to stand trial. He is concerned about the briallian prosecuting barrister Robert Lindley (Geoffrey Keen.)
Dino employs Mike Cochrane (William Russell) to nobble Lindley's reputation by setting up a honey trap by using a woman called Lisa.
Cochrane is happy to ruin Lindley for putting him behind bars once.
Lisa calls in Lindley as she has information that could help convict Dino. It would be a way for Cochrane to get uncompromising photos of Lindley with Lisa.
Just to make things more convoluted, Lindley's daughter was helping Dino with the fraud and she has the hots for him. Dino also plans to double cross Cochrane and makes sure he is not position to talk. Later it emerges that Lisa is Dino's wife.
The biggest weakness is that Dino thinks that there are no other prosecuting barristers who could take on the case.
The plan stretched credulity and there is so much talking after the initial set up. It's a B movie with more chat than action.
Unusually Lindley seems to be investigating the case when he should had bought in the police.
Dino employs Mike Cochrane (William Russell) to nobble Lindley's reputation by setting up a honey trap by using a woman called Lisa.
Cochrane is happy to ruin Lindley for putting him behind bars once.
Lisa calls in Lindley as she has information that could help convict Dino. It would be a way for Cochrane to get uncompromising photos of Lindley with Lisa.
Just to make things more convoluted, Lindley's daughter was helping Dino with the fraud and she has the hots for him. Dino also plans to double cross Cochrane and makes sure he is not position to talk. Later it emerges that Lisa is Dino's wife.
The biggest weakness is that Dino thinks that there are no other prosecuting barristers who could take on the case.
The plan stretched credulity and there is so much talking after the initial set up. It's a B movie with more chat than action.
Unusually Lindley seems to be investigating the case when he should had bought in the police.
Painfully slow.
Sleepin_Dragon19 March 2023
Facing a prison sentence for fraud, Dino Steffano concludes that his best chance is to get to the prosecuting barrister, to nail Lindley as it were.
I think this is perhaps the weakest of the films that I've seen, it's a pretty tedious and lifeless story, but there is one huge plot hole that seems almost impossible to avoid.
Why could they not just replace Lindley?
Production wise it's a bit slow and stunted, every scene feels long and dialogue heavy, nothing manages to detract from the dreary story. Even the ending, it just doesn't go anywhere.
On the plus side, it's well acted, Nigel Davenport, Geoffrey Keen and William Russell are all good, but unfortunately each are wasted on this dreary story.
Hard work, 4/10.
I think this is perhaps the weakest of the films that I've seen, it's a pretty tedious and lifeless story, but there is one huge plot hole that seems almost impossible to avoid.
Why could they not just replace Lindley?
Production wise it's a bit slow and stunted, every scene feels long and dialogue heavy, nothing manages to detract from the dreary story. Even the ending, it just doesn't go anywhere.
On the plus side, it's well acted, Nigel Davenport, Geoffrey Keen and William Russell are all good, but unfortunately each are wasted on this dreary story.
Hard work, 4/10.
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