Review of Calling Paul Temple

This adaptation of a BBC radio series soon betrays its origins.There are a number of mini climaxes,which would normally be where the programme would stop awaiting the unfolding of the latest quirk in the story the following week.However here we have the laboured device of a number of characters about to divulge the name of the murderer Rex when all of a sudden they are shot or poisoned.The problem is also that so many characters are murdered that it all becomes rather commonplace and clichéd.The film is not helped by the fact that there is a nightclub scene shortly after the beginning which seems to bring the whole plot grinding to a halt till Celia Lipton has trilled a couple of songs and expired.By the way the murderer is not too difficult to guess if you know what British actors tended to play villains.This film was clearly intended to play as a first feature but i have to say that the majority of British B crime films are far more entertaining than this woeful effort.