User Reviews

A man is murdered on the docks of Marseilles. The only evidence found at the murder scene is the killer's sailor hat, although the police are sure the murder has to do with smuggling. As it happens, March is supposedly vacationing in France for the sun and relaxation as he tells Mrs. Sargent, the Englishwoman who owns the small hotel where he s staying. March's vacation is interrupted when his old friend, Inspector Goron asks for his help with investigating the murder. Turns out that Mrs. Sargent was a friend of the victim back from their Resistance days and provides Goron and March with information about the suspected killer and possible motive. It also turns out that March isn't actually on vacation but is also after the smugglers. Neat bit where March uses a ploy to get the sailor's hat from Goron; a ploy that Goron sees through immediately. An average entry in the series, although the ending had a nice twist.

Episode 11, "The Headless Hat" begins well, with an opening knife murder aboard ship in Marseilles, where Colonel March is supposedly vacationing. Eric Pohlmann makes his second straight appearance as Inspector Goron of the Surete, here supported by local Inspector Thoreau (Marne Maitland), in possession of the only clue left behind by the culprit, a sailor's cap ("looking for the head that fits this hat"). The Colonel is staying at a hotel run by Mrs. Sargent (Betty Paul), who not only reveals her friendship to the deceased, but also that she knows the killer's identity, a former member of the French Resistance during WW2 (Scotland Yard's interest lies in the smuggling of British currency). Once the setting shifts to the hotel, everything bogs down in endless talk, a shame since Pohlmann complements Karloff nicely and helps the entry crawl to an unspectacular conclusion. Later seen in "The Silent Vow," Marne Maitland, like Pohlmann a future veteran of THE AVENGERS and the James Bond series, is truly wasted in a nothing part assisting Goron. Curiously, Ewan Roberts is credited in his usual role as Inspector Ames but does not appear, while Eric Pohlmann, in the third of his five episodes, features prominently but goes unbilled (his next appearance as Goron came in episode 23, "The Silent Vow").

THE HEADLESS HAT offers something a little different from the usual Colonel March adventures: this sees our single-eyed detective on holiday in France, where he soon becomes involved in a mysterious murder case where a sailor's hat is the only clue. He joins forces with the French police force to bring a dangerous man to justice...

It's a big of a tenuous premise for a mystery, but while this isn't one of the best of the series, it's never boring. Karloff retains the twinkle in his (sole) eye and is well supported here by a cast including the charmingly larger-than-life Eric Pohlmann and Marne Maitland, the latter best known for playing shifty foreigners in the likes of Hammer's THE REPTILE, but this time playing a French detective. THE HEADLESS HAT threatens to be a talky little thing at times but picks up with a nice twist ending.

Colonel March is holidaying in France, but rather than relaxing, he gets involved in a murder, the only clue to hand is a Sailor's hat.

I didn't love this one a great deal I'm afraid to say, the opening was excellent, and definitely the best part, the bulk of the story was rather disappointing, the links and clues were paper thin. Karloff himself doesn't look hugely engaged here.

Eric Pohlmann is definitely wasted as Inspector Goron, before watching this I watched Carry on Spying, he was better served even in that.