Mystery Junction (1951)

Mystery Junction: Directed by Michael McCarthy. With Sydney Tafler, Barbara Murray, Martin Benson, Patricia Owens. Larry Gordon, well-known crime writer, is on a train journey when a scream is heard. Upon investigation, the guard had been mugged and a man murdered. Another man is arrested but the full story is yet to be discovered.

“Mystery writer Sidney Taffler is speaking to Christine Silver as they travel on the train, about how he writes his stories. Suddenly a scream is heard. They investigate and discover one of the crew has been knocked out and his uniform stolen. Thereu0026#39;s also a detective transporting Martin Benson to his trial. To investigate, most of the passengers are taken to a station. As they wait, a storm rises outside. A shot rings out, and the detective is killed. Half the passengers are members of Bensonu0026#39;s gang. They prepare to leave, but Taffer points out that no one admits to killing the detective. The target was Benson. They start to work out who wants him dead.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eItu0026#39;s a nicely composed classical locked-room mystery, decently acted, and brilliantly shot by DP Robert LaPresle, with carefully composed side-lighting to make the setting dark and oppressive, gradually giving away to brighter lighting as suspects are eliminated — sometimes by shooting. Itu0026#39;s good, sturdy B Movie work, composed for economy on two sets, with competent but inexpensive actors.”