Synopsis
When a local man's corpse appears on a nearby hillside, no one is quite sure what happened to him. Many of the town's residents secretly wonder if they are responsible, including the man's ex-wife, Jennifer, and Capt. Albert Wiles, a retired seaman who was hunting in the woods where the body was found. As the no-nonsense sheriff gets involved and local artist Sam Marlowe offers his help, the community slowly unravels the mystery.
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Cast
- John ForsytheSam Marlowe
- Shirley MacLaineJennifer Rogers
- Edmund GwennCaptain Wiles
- Mildred NatwickMiss Gravely
- Mildred DunnockMrs. Wiggs
- Jerry MathersArnie Rogers
- Royal DanoCalvin Wiggs
- Parker FennellyMillionaire
- Barry MacollumTramp
- Dwight MarfieldDr. Greenbow
Recommendations
- 89
Austin Chronicle
Hitchcock's comedic charms shine in this delightful story about a corpse that just won't stay buried. - 80
Empire
A lighter film for Hitchcock but with a wonderfully sewn narrative and some good performances. - 75
LarsenOnFilm
A curious comedy that neither looks back at Rear Window nor ahead to Vertigo, but rather exists in some goofy space all its own. It’s as if Hitchcock went on vacation, but kept working. - 75
TV Guide Magazine
A tongue-in-cheek nod to gumshoes Sam Spade and Philip Marlowe. - 70
The New York Times
It is not a particularly witty or clever script that John Michael Hayes has put together from a novel by Jack Trevor Story, nor does Mr. Hitchcock's direction make it spin. The pace is leisurely, almost sluggish, and the humor frequently is strained. But it does possess mild and mellow merriment all along the way. - 70
Variety
This is a blithe little comedy, produced and directed with affection by Alfred Hitchcock, about a bothersome corpse that just can't stay buried. - 60
Time Out
Hitchcock is reluctant to follow the subversive premises of the story through to their outrageous logical conclusion; the dialogue's sexual innuendoes now seem coy and awkward; the male leads are wooden; the ending too complacent; and the discreet style stranded by that dreaded British restraint so dear to the director.
