Blueprint For Murder / Man In the Attic (1953)

Disc 1:Blueprint For Murder (B&W) (1953) Disc 2:Man in the Attic (B&W) (1953)

Got 2 Great Movies for the price of one!

I was looking for "Prescription For Murder" online and found not only this movie but "The Man In The Attic". The price was right and both movies are among my favorites. Thanks. November 22, 2008

A good blue print

While I have not watched the companion movie, I highly recommend the blue print. This is an old style, very intelligently scripted, mystery and murder movie. Without any special effects or other superficial goodies the movie keeps you busy and anger to figure out the case. Acting by Joseph Cotten and Jean Peters are enjoyable. A nice, standard DVD transfer. Subtitled in Spanish, French and English. November 16, 2008

good movies

I have seen both of these movies & I really liked them. Blueprint for murder is a good who done it. It keeps you going to the very end.

The man in the attic is a Jack the Ripper movie. Is he or isn't he. You have to guess.

both worth watching. enjoy November 15, 2008

Enjoyable Double Bill

'Blueprint for Murder' is a neat little thriller excelently performed by Joseph Cotten and the estimable Jean Peters (snatched from film by her marriage to Howard Hughes). 'Man in the Attic' is an atmospheric re-make of 'The Lodger': can creepy yet charming, soft-spoken Jack Palance be Jack the Ripper? Constance Smith is unexpectedly good as the music hall artiste who dallies with him. March 18, 2008

two rare Fox thrillers for a bargain price

Two obscure films from the Twentieth Century-Fox vaults make up the double feature on this outstanding Midnite Movies release. Apart from the fact that both movies were produced in 1953, they aren't linked by a common theme or star, nevertheless these two movies are definitely worth the time for classic film buffs.

First on the bill is A BLUEPRINT FOR MURDER (written and directed by Andrew L. Stone). When his little niece dies following an unexplained illness, Whitney Cameron (Joseph Cotten) begins to suspect the child's stepmother Lynne (Jean Peters). The ice-cool society type, Lynne hardly seems a candidate for murder, but when it's revealed she'll inherit the entire family fortune should she outlive her stepchildren, Cam starts to fear for the safety of nephew Doug (Freddy Ridgeway). With the help of his sleuthing friends (Gary Merrill and Catherine McLeod), Cam sets out to trap Lynne using her very own "blueprint" for murder...

This stylish murder noir is a perfect showcase for Fox contract player Jean Peters ("Niagara", "Three Coins in the Fountain"). She brings a sense of ambiguous danger to the role of Lynne. Joseph Cotten is very strong too. Normally the villain in these types of movies, it's a rare change seeing him as the hero. Catherine McLeod and Gary Merrill ("All About Eve") have fun roles as the amateur sleuths.

Next up is MAN IN THE ATTIC (directed by Hugo Fregonese, based on a novel by Marie Belloc Lowndes). In gas-lit London at the turn of the century, the district of Whitechapel is being terrorised by a series of grisly murders involving prostitutes and actresses. Slade (Jack Palance) seems to fit the description of the murderer and lives a mysterious life as lodger in the house belonging to Mr and Mrs Harley (Rhys Williams and Frances Bavier). When the Harleys' showgirl niece Lily Bonner (Constance Smith) comes to stay, Slade's behaviour grows more erratic...and the body-count in Whitechapel rises steadily.

Produced by Panoramic Productions, MAN IN THE ATTIC was a virtual scene-for-scene remake of an earlier Fox movie, "The Lodger" (made in 1944, starring Laird Cregar and Merle Oberon). Jack Palance is perfectly cast as the moody, mysterious stranger who may or may not be Jack The Ripper. The Whitechapel murder mystery (and the identity of the person/s who committed them) has never been completely solved. MAN IN THE ATTIC tries to answer the mystery.

Each movie is presented on it's very own disc. Bonus features consist of original trailers plus animated photo galleries (containing rare on-set candids and beautiful production stills). It's great to see these two otherwise-forgotten Fox movies on DVD, at a bargain price. February 9, 2008

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