In a rural English hospital during WW2, a postman dies on the operating table and the nurse states she knows the murderer is dead too. The facetious Inspector Cockrill suspects one of the five doctors and nurses who were in the operating theater to be the assassin. But four poisonous pills have disappeared....

viewer's comments:

- A wonderful atmospheric British thriller from the 40's

At a lonely wartime hospital, the local postman, injured in a flying bomb explosion dies unexpectedly during surgery.This isolated incident leads to the chief surgeon,his team of doctors and nurses, becoming suspects in a series of suspicious deaths. When Inspector Cockrill (Alastair Sim) starts investigating, he finds four poison pills missing.... Good performances from Trevor Howard, Leo Genn, and Rosamund John, but the film is stolen by the wonderful Alastair Sim.

- Great film, memorable performances

A wonderful film, a great adaptation of the book by Christianna Brand (some might say a definite improvement). Wonderful acting by Alastair Sim in particular as the detective. Captures the WW11 mood well. Great movie to watch on a rainy afternoon.

- Lots of fun

Directed and produced by Sidney Gilliat and Frank Launder, the British mystery-comedy Green for Danger is a rare treat. Featuring the incomparable Alastair Sim as Cockrill, a bumbling Scotland Yard detective and the redoubtable Trevor Howard as a suspicious doctor, the plot is a convoluted murder mystery in which five people have motive and means to commit murder -- but whodunit?

Set in a rural British hospital (that looks like an Elizabethan mansion) during the latter stages of World War II, two people are murdered before you can say "buzz bomb". The first suspicious death occurs when a postman suddenly dies on the operating table after receiving an anaesthetic. This is soon followed by the death of Nurse Marion Bates (Judy Campbell) after she announces at a party that she has found evidence to expose the killer. The possible killer includes the uptight Dr. Barnes (Trevor Howard), the emotionally unstable Nurse Sanson (Rosamund John), Nurse Woods (Megs Jenkins), Nurse Linley (Sally Gray), the object of affection from both doctors, and the philandering surgeon, Mr. Eden (Leo Genn). Each one of the suspects looks and acts guilty.

There are many twists and turns and, without giving anything away, a staged mock operation after an attempted third murder ultimately will tell the tale. But the film belongs to Alastair Sim. The word whimsical must have been invented with him in mind. You just cannot take things too seriously when he is around. His capricious charm and impudent smile lights up every dark shadow in the old hospital. Green for Danger is a bit stodgy but lots of fun.
Howard Schumann
Vancouver, B.C.

- A jolly good hospital murder mystery

Yep, another fine offering from the Limeys! Unlike a lot of today's storylines, this film gets you in - no matter that you're cold, hungry and it's 4am! Lots of little twists that surprise later on. The detective is a ripper - a sort of slow Sherlock Holmes. And the accents are nice to listen to.

Look out for those BUZZ BOMBS!
Anton Diffring II
Sth. Oz

- The Marvellous Sim Steals The First Of Many Movies

Green For Danger (and how cheeky is THAT title!) is a bravura example of simplicity in the art of movie making. It's a rural whodunnit set in WWII (it was nearly banned in case it frightened soldiers from going to hospital!) wherein a small group of medical professionals soon discover there is a murderer in their midsts after the homicide of a soldier. Enter a Scotland Yard Inspector (Sim) to tidy up the loose ends and swiftly solve the case - before handing in his resignation!!!

This film, despite its whimsical charm, is replete with fine examples of every film-making ingredient. The acting (though a tad stiff) is dead on the ball; the dialogue is always precise and frequently ingenious (Sim's music hall gag about impurities...); the editing is never less than effective and the direction and cinematography constantly inspired (the mood and lighting for the second murder is awesome). It is clear from this type of gem that the ingredients of cinematic success are not always excessive ones - unless it is an excess of skill and talent; and this film has that in abundance. On top of this it also has the gorgon-eyed brilliance of Alistair Sim: a man late to his profession but BOY did he make up for it! Check out his delivery in this film and his constantly out-of-kilter (and surely spontaneous) body language. He is an actor relishing being the fulcrum of every scene he's in - and even those he isn't: The night-time scene in the woods being a perfect example of his equal gift for comedy and scene stealing. And he still makes me laugh out loud!
Shaun Hennessy (henfish)
Penge, London

- Atmospheric medical thriller/mystery

Would make an interesting film as a double feature with "Coma". This film impressed me with the way it used lighting and sound to cast certain parts of the hospital in a most sinister light. The scene where a trap is laid for the killer is one of the more scary and suspenseful scenes I've seen in a whodunit in some time. Alastair Sim's presence alone is reason enough to see this film. I felt the suspense was heightened by the fact that he didn't seem to have a "clue" much of the time (and you're expecting him to come to the rescue?) Will he or won't he stop the murderer before he or she kill(s) again? Watch and see! You will become a Sim devotee by the end of the film if you aren't already.
Dan Hiland
Portland, Oregon

Complete credited cast:
Sally Gray (I) .... Nurse Frederica 'Freddie' Linley
Trevor Howard .... Dr. Barney Barnes
Rosamund John .... Nurse Esther Sanson
Alastair Sim .... Inspector Cockrill
Leo Genn .... Mr. Eden
Judy Campbell .... Sister Marion Bates
Megs Jenkins .... Nurse Woods
Henry Edwards (I) .... Mr. Purdy
Ronald Adam .... Dr. White
George Woodbridge .... Detective Sergeant Hendricks
Wendy Thompson (II) .... Sister Carter
John Rae (II) .... The Porter
Moore Marriott .... Joseph Higgins, the Postman
Frank Ling .... Rescue Worker


Runtime: 91 min
Country: UK
Language: English
Color: Black and White
video condition: crystal clear with perfect sound. unobtrusive tv logo on the bottom right hand side of the screen