THE VICIOUS CIRCLE is a solid British mystery effort of the 1957, unremarkable at times but with a decent enough cast to make it worthwhile. It stars John Mills in the classic 'wronged man' role of a doctor who discovers the body of a murdered woman in his flat. He only just met the woman, at an airport, and is automatically suspected of the deed, which leads him in a fight to clear his name.
The structure of the film is familiar to fans of the era; it's directed by none other than Gerald Thomas, who handled a few brisk and efficient thrillers before becoming best known as CARRY ON's directing mainstay. The screenplay was written by Francis Durbridge, well known for his Paul Temple book series, and this does feel very much in the Paul Temple spirit.
The supporting cast includes plenty of British talent including Lionel Jeffries in an atypical role, the permanently worried-looking Mervyn Johns, Roland Culver as a cop, and Wilfrid Hyde-White playing his usual pompous self. The plot moves forward at a reliable pace and provides plenty of depth in the plot; the only thing I found slightly wrong with it was the central casting of Mills, who seems too reliable and self-assured to truly convince as a put-upon victim.
The structure of the film is familiar to fans of the era; it's directed by none other than Gerald Thomas, who handled a few brisk and efficient thrillers before becoming best known as CARRY ON's directing mainstay. The screenplay was written by Francis Durbridge, well known for his Paul Temple book series, and this does feel very much in the Paul Temple spirit.
The supporting cast includes plenty of British talent including Lionel Jeffries in an atypical role, the permanently worried-looking Mervyn Johns, Roland Culver as a cop, and Wilfrid Hyde-White playing his usual pompous self. The plot moves forward at a reliable pace and provides plenty of depth in the plot; the only thing I found slightly wrong with it was the central casting of Mills, who seems too reliable and self-assured to truly convince as a put-upon victim.