The Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre (TV Series) Dead Man's Chest (1965) User Reviews

Typical Very Average Merton Park Production

[JohnHowardReid · 6/10 · 28 June 2009]

An over-talkative Edgar Wallace entry with little action (even the bank robbery occurs off-screen), but nonetheless this watered-down variation of "Beyond a Reasonable Doubt" is fairly engrossing (even though it promises much more than it actually delivers) and is very capably played. Credits are slick (despite modest production values) and this also helps to keep viewers involved.

The cast includes Paul Whitsun-Jones as the chef, Jack Rodney as Knocker, Renny Lister, Geoffrey Bayldon, Michael Robbins, Victor Platt, Michael Collins, Geoffrey Mathews, and Charlie Bird. Although Michael Carr is credited for his theme music, it is not in fact used in the film. Brian Blamey was actually the sound editor. Sound recording was in the hands of Sid Rider and Red Law. Camera operator: Peter Allwork. Wardrobe: Eileen Welch. Make-up: Michael Morris. Hair styles: Connie Abel. Casting director: Ronald Curtis. Set continuity: Marjorie Owens. Production manager: Laurie Greenwood. Assistant director: Ted Lewis.

Dead Man's Chest

[Prismark10 · 4/10 · 17 December 2020]

This was the last of The Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre mysteries.

Dead Man's Chest has a cast of well known actors but it is rather humdrum as a thriller.

David Jones (John Thaw) and Johnnie Gordon (John Meillon) are a couple of cynical journalists who plan some mischief. A plan is made that Jones has murdered Gordon and smuggled his dead body in a chest. Jones will leave a clue when he leaves a dab of blood behind.

However the van that had the chest is robbed by an opportunistic thief. He needed a motor for a robbery that his friends were planning to carry out.

Unbeknown to them is that the chest has a man inside. They discard the chest and Jones is worried that if no one gets to Gordon in time, he will end up dead.

The police eventually charge Jones for murder with the motive being that Gordon might had been carrying on with Jones's wife. However Gordon's body is not yet positively identified.

The Edgar Wallace Mysteries were B movies that supported the main features in the cinema. They found a new lease of life as they were regularly shown on late night British television.

The main mystery with Dead Man's Chest is whether Gordon somehow got out of the chest and why has he not yet come forward.

Despite a fine cast, it just lacked thrills. It might had a lot to do with the low budget.

Overly talky, but the cast's good

[Leofwine_draca · 5/10 · 4 July 2018]

DEAD MAN'S CHEST is one of the last of the short feature films released in Americ as the EDGAR WALLACE MYSTERY THEATER series. This one features a dark-haired and youthful John Thaw as the protagonist, who unwisely decides to fake a murder with the help of his equally wrong-headed friend. Their motive in doing so is ill-realised and seems to be purely to trick an old-timer who they have a minor grudge against. The plot develops in various unusual and unexpected ways, with elements including a criminal gang, a police investigation, prison, and a court case. As with many of these features, there's an over-reliance on dialogue to explain every little thing, but the casting director has had a field day and amassed a remarkable number of familiar faces, including Geoffrey Bayldon, Graham Crowdon, Peter Bowles, John Meillon and Michael Robbins.

A pretty lifeless final episode.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 5/10 · 5 February 2023]

Journalists David Jones and Johnnie Gordon plan an elaborate hoax, which involves faking a murder, and a huge trunk, unfortunately their plan goes wrong, with tragic consequences.

Considering this was the final film, I thought it was a massive disappointment, series five and six for the most part gave us some of the best offerings, I loved series six, up until this disappointing final episode.

It's too slow, and just fails to offer any sense of mystery, it's almost as if this plot was cobbled together from a few different episodes.

Was this the best assembled cast, what a list of names, including John Thaw (back after 5 to 1,) Anne Firbank, Geoffrey Bayldon and Peter Bowles, such a shame they were served with such.

A pre Are you being served Arthur Brough is good value.

Disappointing, 5/10.