THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL

Phyllis Calvert

THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL (1947). Director: Brock Williams.

Jackie (Phyllis Calvert) is one of two daughters of a struggling farmer named Farnish (Brefni O'Rorke of The Upturned Glass). She is engaged to a pleasant fellow named Albert (Hubert Gregg), whose unpleasant father, George Grice (Arthur Young), talks the weak man into marrying someone else. Grice also refuses to loan Jackie money for her father, so they have to auction off the farm (including the family dog!). Devastated, Jackie makes up her mind to get money and power and get her revenge on Grice. She is torn between two men, Joe, (John McCallum of The Woman in Question), an honest farm worker who loves her; and Charles (Michael Rennie), who goes into business with her. But will her rise into a world of wealth and power only lead to tragedy? The Root of All Evil, a standard rags to riches/revenge story, would have been a lot more entertaining had it starred, say, Joan Crawford, who could have really slapped home those bitter, angry lines with aplomb. Phyllis Calvert [They Were Sisters] is a good, but less interesting actress, at least in this type of role. The other performers are fine, including Hazel Court as her sister; Moore Marriott as Scholes, a landowner with a grudge; and especially Arthur Young as the venal if ultimately pathetic Grice. There's an exciting climax with a fire and some redemption for at least one character.

Verdict: Routine in all departments. **.

THE UPTURNED GLASS

James Mason

THE UPTURNED GLASS (1947). Director: Lawrence Huntington.

Michael Joyce (James Mason) lectures to his class on the case of a murderer who was, he claims, perfectly sane and rational despite his homicidal actions, but it's no surprise that he's talking about himself -- only the murder has yet to occur. Joyce is in a loveless marriage when he meets Emma Wright (Rosamund John), whose daughter, Ann (Ann Stephens), requires an operation. Emma is married as well, but the two are drawn to one another. When a death occurs, Michael blames Kate Howard (Pamela Mason), Emma's hateful sister-in-law. Will Michael enact his scheme to do away with her? Few people have heard of The Upturned Glass despite Mason's starring role, and the reason is because it isn't very good. What might have worked for a half hour episode of, say, Suspense, doesn't work stretched out to full length, and the picture is padded with the character of a loathsome Dr. Farrell (Brefni O'Rorke) who is the very antithesis of the Hippocratic oath. At least the acting is good, with Mason [Caught] as excellent as ever, and the ladies and O'Rorke giving quite good performances. Billed as "Pamela Kellino," Pamela Mason was married to James Mason at the time. She later wound up in The Navy vs. the Night Monsters. One critic suggested that the forgettable Upturned Glass must have influenced Hitchcock's Vertigo because a woman with a fear of heights falls out of a window -- it's unlikely Hitch ever saw the film! Mason also co-produced the picture. Huntington also directed The Vulture, his final feature.

Verdict: Minor British suspense film distinguished by Mason's fine lead performance. **.