Cast a Dark Shadow (1955, Dirk Bogarde, Margaret Lockwood)

In the thriller Cast a Dark Shadow young Edward Bare, aka Teddy is married to the middle aged Monica Vare, when he believes she is about to cut him out of her will he decides to murder her, however the opposite was true and she was about to leave him everything. Still penniless he sets his sights on another older woman, Freda Jeffries…

Co-starring Dirk Bogarde with the entering into middle age Margaret Lockwood is a great idea, Bogarde has always had a knack of making nasty characters sympathetic to the audience. The film carries with it an excellent atmosphere, Bogarde’s character is somewhat reminiscent of Patricia Highsmith’s Ripley, basically a man of low moral scruples out to get whatever he can from the women he targets. Lockwood is fabulous here as the blousy ex-barmaid who definitely gives as good as she gets – “pound for pound”.

production details
UK / Frobisher / 82 minutes / 1955

Script: John Cresswell
Play: Murder Mistaken by Janet Green
Photography: Jack Asher
Music: Antony Hopkins
Producer: Herbert Mason
Executive Producer: Daniel M. Angel
Director: Lewis Gilbert

cast
Dirk Bogarde as Edward “Teddy” Bare
Margaret Lockwood as Freda Jeffries
Kay Walsh as Charlotte Young
Kathleen Harrison as Emmie
Mona Washbourne as Monica Bare
Walter Hudd as Coroner
Lita Roza as Singer
Philip Stainton as Charlie Mann
Robert Flemyng as Phillip Mortimer