Black Orchid (1953)

Wonderful Movie

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.

BLACK ORCHID 1953A fast moving murder mystery played out like a 1930's whodunit. The film stars Leslie Howard's son, Ronald. Ronald Howard is a top end medical type married to, Mary Laura Wood. Wood is not amused with how Howard seems more interested in his work than him. Wood is stepping out with other "gentlemen" behind Howard's back. Olga Edwardes is now introduced to the plot. Miss Edwardes is the younger sister of Wood. Edwardes is also a medical type and she and Howard strike it off. Howard tells Edwardes that he had asked his wife, Wood, for a divorce but the cow refused. Also in the mix is Wood's maid, Sheila Burrell, novelist, John Bentley and his publisher, Patrick Barr. Howard and Edwardes are in love and wish to marry. The only thing in their way is Wood. Wood suddenly decides she is moving home to South Africa. She is also willing to grant Howard a divorce. She thinks this is most humorous. Wood tells Howard that there is a UK law that forbids a man to marry the sister of his ex. Next thing you know, Miss Wood is creamed by a handy passing truck and killed. Now Edwardes and Howard are free to wed. That is till the coroner says Wood had been poisoned before the truck got her. Needless to say who is at the top of the suspect's list. Wood's maid, Sheila Burrell, never liked Howard and put a bee in the Police's bonnet about him as a suspect. The Police gobble up Howard when they find that the poison used, is the same substance Howard is experimenting with. Miss Edwardes, along with Howard's pal, writer, John Bentley, do a bit of detective work of their own. They turn up evidence of Wood's affair with another man. And what a surprise they get when they discover that the man is Bentley's own publisher, Patrick Barr. (This is pushing it a bit story wise)Barr is not happy with being outed and now tries to eliminate Edwardes and Bentley. A spot of sabotage on the brakes of Bentley's car damn near works when Bentley and Edwardes crash. Bentley is hauled in for a bit of repair work at the emergency ward. Edwardes, silly girl that she is, tries to tackle Barr by herself. She ends up at the wrong end of a choking and is only saved by maid Burrell arriving with a pistol. (Another stretch, story wise) Howard is now released from jail and into Edwardes' arms. The Black Orchid of the title is how Barr had poisoned Miss Woods. He had covered the flowers he sent Woods with poison. The film moves right along and at only 58 minutes, it does not over stay its welcome.The director was Charles Sanders. Sanders made quite a few mystery, crime and noir during his 30 plus years directing. These include, DEATH OF AN ANGEL, A TIME TO KILL, THE NARROWING CIRCLE, NAKED FURY, JUNGLE STREET and KILL HER GENTLY

John Wittington is a dedicated physician married to a beautiful but unhappy woman, Sophie. She endlessly complains and snipes at him - for not showing up to a dinner party, for ignoring her and so forth. Clearly all of our sympathy is meant to be for the good doctor but the disgruntled, self- centered Sophie does have a point. He tells her that she knew from the beginning of their marriage that his work was the most important thing in his life. Here are two people who never should have married. Then enters Sophie's sister, Christine. She takes a great interest in his work and clearly admires him. In about two minutes they fall in love. Sophie agrees to a divorce. As she's leaving their house she, with a wicked grin, tells her now ex- husband that he will never be able to marry Christine because it is illegal for a man to marry his ex- wife's sister. Which he finds out to be true (was this really so back then?). Of course, if the ex- wife is dead, this problem goes away. Well, she does end up dead and the doctor is arrested and convicted of her murder. Fortunately, Christine and the doctor's good friend Eric don't believe he did it and investigate on their own. The movie is well paced and entertaining. It was nice seeing Ronald Howard as the doctor; I had only previously seen him in the Sherlock Homes television series. The entire cast was very good but special kudos go to the actress playing Sophie. Recommended as an enjoyable way to spend an hour.

Marvelous isn't it how some bad old movies simply refuse to lie down and die? "Black Orchid" is a British quota quickie that will not surrender. Maybe because it has such a short running time, plus an intriguing title, plus Ronald Howard (whose Sherlock Holmes has a following), it has been a favorite on my local TV station. Hardly a year went by without two or three airings. And it was still running strong in 2006. By some miracle, the rights presumably then expired because it hasn't surfaced since. It's a thoroughly boring movie with absolutely nothing to offer. With the exceptions of Sheila Burrell's fawningly vicious Annette and Mary Laura Wood's preening socialite, the players are a lackluster lot. John Bentley is especially glum and even ever-reliable Russell Napier seems to be playing at half-steam.

I caught this film late one night on the ABC and was pleasantly surprised to find Ronald Howard - best known for his role as Sherlock Holmes in the 1954 television series - playing the main character Dr.John Winnington, a kind hearted doctor who has the misfortune to stuck in a loveless marriage to a selfish woman, more interested in dinner parties than his work in curing disease.I thought Black Orchid was a rather good film, short and sweet (running a little less than one hour). A neat little murder mystery in a who-dunnit structure. The audience is able to participate in attempting to pick who the "real" killer is, following Christine and John's friend Eric as they desperately try to clear Winnington's name and find her sister's "real" murderer, whoever that may be...4 out of 5 stars.