It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

Copyright 1956 by Marksman Films Ltd. Released through Columbia Pictures Corp. No New York opening. U.S. release: August 1957. U.K. release: 18 February 1957. Australian release: 26 September 1957. 8,654 feet. 96 minutes. NOTES: "Introducing" Elizabeth Seal, although she had in fact previously appeared in Radio Cab Murder (1954). Producer: Maxwell Setton. Copyright 1956 by Marksman Films Ltd. Released through Columbia Pictures Corp. No New York opening. U.S. release: August 1957. U.K. release: 18 February 1957. Australian release: 26 September 1957. 8,654 feet. 96 minutes. COMMENT: You'd think a movie with a cast like this would more than fill the average suburban cinema of a Friday night. Mills, Coburn, Farr were all super-popular players. Farr had even recently played a most successful season on the stage, opposite his actress wife, Muriel Pavlow. But when I saw the movie at my neighborhood Odeon, I was one of only three paying patrons in the theatre! It wasn't only that television had already started to take its big bite out of cinema attendances, but that audiences simply didn't take to Mills as either a policeman or a murder suspect. To most picturegoers, Mills was a serviceman - whether in the army, navy or air force didn't matter, so long as he was in uniform. Out of uniform, he was barely tolerated as a businessman or farmer, completely ignored as either a light romantic figure or comedy cut-up or a disturbed "little man" with serious emotional problems. Thus general audiences chose to ignore all of Mills' best performances. Instead he was "ideally" cast as the epitome of breezy officer types, all-right chaps, stiff upper-lip and all that. A grippingly fast-paced, mystery thriller, Town on Trial is an original screenplay by Ken Hughes and Robert Westerby, written in the classic tradition of credibly-hewn characters, realistic incident and a bobby-dazzler of an action climax. There are only four suspects, yet the writers keep us in fine suspense right up to the climactic revelation. And although the identity of the killer is cleverly concealed, the script plays fair . John Guillermin has directed this fine script with verve, style and imagination. No doubt all the subjective camerawork is detailed in the script, but it's fascinatingly presented all the same. A large budget with lots of extras and location settings also helps. The performances are all major league. From the tantalising glimpse of Magda Miller, through the high-spirited sexiness of Elizabeth Seal, to the nastily vicious (?) or helpfully sincere (?) Charles Coburn who brings all his magnificent charisma to bear on a difficult role which he brings off so superbly. Production credits are likewise absolutely first-rate. Photography, music, film editing and art direction are especially commendable.

Scotland Yard's Detective Superintendent Hollarin (John Mills) arrives in the small town of Oakley Park to investigate the murder of a young girl called Molly Stevens whom was found strangled with a stocking in the grounds of an upmarket tennis club. Virtually the entire town falls under suspicion including her former boyfriend Peter Crowley (Alec McCowen) whom she deserted in favour of the club secretary Mark Roper (Derek Farr) who also had a reason for wanting her dead since he is a married man and he also got her pregnant. If that had come out he would have lost his job. The town's physician, Dr Fenner (Charles Coburn), is being blackmailed by Roper who knows that he left his practice in Canada when a wrong diagnosis resulted in one of his patients dying and his niece, Elizabeth (Barbara Bates), agreed to give Roper a false alibi in order to protect her uncle. In addition, the prominent Dixon family's daughter Fiona (Elizabeth Seal) was very friendly with Molly: they used to frequent a dubious nightclub which is facing an illegal gambling charge, get drunk and go joy riding with boys. This angered her father, Charles (Geoffrey Keen), who is a town councillor and is earmarked to become Oakley Park's Mayor and did not like the thought of his daughter keeping that kind of company. The police gradually close in on the murderer, but not before Fiona is killed while a dance is taking place at the club...As a straightforward murder mystery it is something of a let down because the identity of the killer is fairly obvious by about half way into the film's running time. Shame on the screenwriters Ken Hughes and Robert Westerby! Nevertheless, this mysteriously obscure little film is still well worth the watch thanks to strong realistic characterisations, vigorous direction by John Guillermin in what must have been one of his first 'A' features and excellent acting all round.John Mills offers a career best performance as the tough, dogged police superintendent who never plays by the rules and quite often finding himself in hot water with his superiors and the townsfolk who do not like his sometimes unorthodox methods and, above all, resent an outsider meddling in their affairs. Derek Farr, a familiar face of British cinema at that time, also stands out playing the dishonest and thoroughly dislikeable club secretary Mark Roper. In addition to his cheating on his wife and blackmailing the local doctor, he also lies about his war service in the RAF claiming to have been a distinguished fighter pilot yet Mills discovers he was only a lowly member of the ground crew who was dishonorably discharged for theft. There is an extremely effective scene where the Superintendent confronts him about this in quite an aggressive manner and we learn that the reason for his anger towards Roper was that his wife and child were killed during an air raid. And when he attempted to volunteer for the RAF himself, he was turned down and he resents anyone who lies about their war service like he did.The sense of small town distrust of outsiders is well conveyed and Guillermin opted to shoot the film in Weybridge, Surrey, England, which serves the plot very well. Basil Emmott, a lighting cameraman of prolific output whose work helped lift numerous 'B' pictures above the average, heightens the strong sense of place and the mysteriousness with his rich black and white camera-work. The suspense reaches fever pitch at the climax where Mills climbs up the steeple of a church to confront his killer who is threatening to commit suicide from throwing himself off the roof. The murder scenes are also very well done and are sufficient to send a chill down the spine even though the composer, Tristram Carey, opted to play a harpsichord over them predating the Margaret Rutherford Miss Marple films by a few years.

When "Town on Trial" begins, you hear the voice of the murderer before he commits the crime! You see him looking at pretty Molly at the country club...and you hear him saying how she has it coming because she's one of THOSE sort of girls! Well, Molly certainly was pretty and liked to show off her figure...and the sicko thought this meant he was entitled to kill her!!Police Superintendent Halloran (John Mills) is assigned to the case. And, unfortunately, it's not a quick and easy case to solve...and some of it is because the rich folks he questions sometimes have a strong sense of entitlement. In fact, the more he investigates, the more these folks put pressure on his superiors to take him off the case! What's to come of this?This is a very good film. Sure, the story is good but the reason I liked it was the very fine acting of Mills. He was a heck of a good actor and made even average material well above average. Well worth your time.

I taped the film from C4 and watched it yesterday. I agree it was very disjointed. John Mills was cast completely against character and was not very convincing.Did anyone else notice a scene repeat? After Elizabeth Seal was murdered at the dance, John Mills interviewed Charles Coburn in a side room. He came out of the room to speak to Barbara Bates then instructed a Police Officer to take her home, then is shown coming out of the room again to see her before the next scene! What struck me most was the fact that the Police cars were invariably driven too fast. Charles Coburn was I thought the best actor on show. Nice to see Harry Fowler playing the band leader for a change rather than a spiv.