josephmcgrath-62358 a rainy day in the upper Midwest,and waiting to pick up my grandson from school. had me turning on TCM during it's summer under the stars to see who was being featured today. Constance Cummings I was unfamiliar with, however in the previous movie along with Cummings Ralph Bellamy and Irene Dunne stared. I began watching " finger of guilt. having grown up watching 20,000 leagues under the sea with Richard basehart? ( I think that was the name of the series) I began to watch this film. I love location movies, in particular London in the mid 50's. what a terrific movie. basehart was outstanding and Mary Murphy was absolutely stunning. her beauty and the role she played was outstanding. the supporting actors were great. all recognizable , and such pro's. that made a low budget film so wonderful. really a great surprise for a rainy day. wonderful movie !

mikequinlan61 OK, perhaps I rated this a little too high, but anything featuring the very good Richard Basehart is fine in my book. Having seen this a while ago, I recently watched the beginning and the ending once again.The beginning draws you in to a story which, while not especially original, does provide enough mystery and twists and turns to be involving. The actors are all highly professional, and the directing is serviceable. Earlier reviews have suggested that Losey (director) had the usual axe to grind as a blacklisted Hollywood veteran. Well, perhaps, but if that was the case, he didn't succeed.Instead what we have is a psychological drama (a la film noir) in which our protagonist is assailed by an unkind fate (personified by an unexpectedly satisfying Mary Murphy). Things go badly as the film moves toward the predictable climax, when all is revealed. Here, Losey pulls out all of his particular directorial stops and gives us a good cinematic treat as Basehart tangles with the real (albeit somewhat wimpy) villain of the piece in a shadow play bravura conflict. Decent film, well worth your time. 4 out of 5.

kidboots This movie, a cynical look at betrayal in the film industry, was directed by someone who had first hand knowledge - Joseph Losey. With a great blend of British actors (Roger Livesey, Mervyn Johns and Faith Brook, who I had just seen a few days before in a superb British "Thriller" episode "In the Steps of a Dead Man") and a couple of American ex-pats - Richard Basehart and Constance Cummings, it is a nicely paced "who done it" set behind the scenes at a British film studio (Shepparton Studios).Film producer, Reggie Wilson (Richard Basehart) is worried he may have a dual personality. Fleeing Hollywood, he finds himself in England and married to the bosses' daughter (Faith Brook) after which he quickly rises through the studio ranks. Then the letters appear.... from a love sick fan (he thinks) who wants to know why he has thrown her over. Meanwhile, his father-in-law "Big Ben" is worried about the money being poured into the studio's first big budget movie and is demanding cuts!! On top of which, imported leading lady Kay Wallace (Constance Cummings) realises she is not right for the role and is being a prima donna.Mary Murphy bought a quiet intensity to her acting but even though she was in films for two decades, the only time she really stood out was as the shy girl who gave hope to Marlon Brando in "The Wild One". Here she had a more conventional role as Evelyn Stewart, the duplicitous letter writer. She handled the part well but I will always remember her beauty - why wasn't she better known!!! Being a Joseph Losey ("The Prowler", "The Servant") picture, you couldn't fault it and when Reggie starts to put two and two together to add up to just who Evelyn Stewart really was, the pace really picks up.Constance Cummings was an under rated American actress ("The Criminal Code") who went to England in the mid thirties as so many did whose careers were stalling, but unlike many, made good and decided to stay.Highly Recommended.

clive_fuller-1 This film is one which I saw on TV many many years ago on Yorkshire and eventually obtained an American copy a few years back. Directed by Joseph Losey this film has great atmosphere and some great stars too. Unusual for the time there are good location shots and realistic studio backgrounds too. My copy "Finger of Guilt" is the edited version which was distributed by RKO but in spite of this I love the twists and turns of the plot and if you get the chance watch it vote on it too. This film is a high-spot in the history of Merton Park and shows what can be done on a modest budget with actors who know their stuff. Richard Basehart is brilliant as he struggles to solve the question "was it true" and Roger Livesey is believable as the studio boss. Look out to for a host of Merton Park regulars such as Andre Mikhelson who plays a designer in this film.