Doctor Morelle
| Doctor Morelle | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Godfrey Grayson |
| Written by | Wilfred Burr (stage play) Ernest Dudley (radio show) Ambrose Grayson Roy Plomley |
| Produced by | Anthony Hinds |
| Starring | Valentine Dyall Peter Drury Hugh Griffith Julia Lang |
| Cinematography | Cedric Williams |
| Edited by | Ray Pitt |
| Music by | Rupert Grayson Frank Spencer |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Exclusive Films (UK) |
Release date |
|
Running time | 73 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $56,000 |
Doctor Morelle (also known as Dr. Morelle: The Case of the Missing Heiress) is a 1949 British second feature ('B') mystery film directed by Godfrey Grayson and starring Valentine Dyall, Julia Lang, Peter Drury and Hugh Griffith. Made by Hammer Films, it was written by Ambrose Grayson and Roy Plomley, based on Wilfred Burr's stage play and Ernest Dudley's long-running BBC radio series, which had originally starred Dennis Arundell and then Heron Carvic.
This was the first film Hammer produced at their Cookham Dean studio, and in 1958, when Hammer celebrated their tenth anniversary, they showed a print of Doctor Morelle, citing it as the first real Hammer Film. In addition to writing the radio series, Ernest Dudley also wrote many novels and short stories featuring the character of Morelle. In 1949, Hammer had intended to produce a series of Dr. Morelle films, but Dudley wouldn't allow it, since in 1949 he was planning on producing the films himself. The film is today considered a lost film.