Tonight's Movie: Green for Danger (1946)

Today was the last day of my five-day long weekend "staycation," and before getting back to my business tomorrow I was able to enjoy two more great movies today.

First up: GREEN FOR DANGER, an absolutely delightful British murder mystery. This movie was recommended to me by a couple different people, and it didn't disappoint.

GREEN FOR DANGER is set in a ramshackle hospital on a requisitioned estate in the British countryside during World War II. A postman injured in a bombing dies unexpectedly on the operating table, and the five doctors and nurses present are suspects. Enter Alastair Sim as Inspector Cockrill, who is by turns droll, bumbling, pointed, and clever.

Whodunit? Was it Barney (Trevor Howard), the anesthetist? Mr. Eden (Leo Genn), the surgeon? Or one of the nurses? The three ladies playing the nurses are Sally Gray, Megs Jenkins, and Rosamund John.

The movie is a little gem with great atmosphere and insights into unique aspects of British life. As a longtime reader of Betty Neels' widely beloved books, of which a majority were set in British hospitals, the setting was so familiar -- the surgeons being called Mister (not Doctor!), the caped nurses (called Sisters) living communally adjacent to the hospital, the "operating theatre" run by a Theatre Sister, the porter handing out keys and receiving mail, the shilling for the gas to work, the staff having a cup of tea...

It's interesting to note, from an historical perspective, that in this setting in 1940s Britain there was no instant hot water in the nurses' apartment; they still had to "put on the kettle" to wash dishes or fill a hot water bottle.

As with so many British productions, the plot is almost beside the point, although it's interesting. What really captures the interest are the fascinating, carefully etched characters, the great dialogue, and the dry wit and sense of humor amidst a series of ongoing murders. The spooky atmosphere on the converted old estate helps too.

The film was directed by Sidney Gilliat. It was shot in black and white and runs 91 minutes.

GREEN FOR DANGER is based on a novel by Christianna Brand, which is still in print.

GREEN FOR DANGER is available on DVD from the Criterion Collection. The print is gorgeous. Glenn Erickson (aka the DVD Savant) reviewed the DVD for TCM's site.

The movie has been shown in the past on Turner Classic Movies, which has clips from the film available here.

If you enjoy British mysteries rich with mood, humor, and well-drawn characters, this is the movie for you.