The Third Alibi (1961) Café au lait Brit Noir

Directed by Montgomery Tully. 

Written by Maurice J. Wilson and Montgomery Tully and based on the play by Pip and Jane Baker. The Cinematography was by Walter J. Harvey and the Music was by Don Banks.  

The film stars Laurence Payne as jazz composer Norman Martell, Patricia Dainton as his wife Helen Martell, Jane Griffiths as Helens sister Peggy Hill. Edward Underdown as Doctor Murdoch, John Arnatt as Superintendent Ross, Humphrey Lestocq as the Producer, Lucy Griffiths as Miss Potter, Cleo Laine as the Singer, and Arthur Hewlett as Marshall.

 Laurence Payne as jazz composer Norman Martell

Jane Griffiths as Peggy Hill

Patricia Dainton as Helen Martell

Sleazeball jazz composer Norman is boinking his wifes sister Peggy. After a dinner get together Norman offers to drive Peggy home. Its not the only thing he wants to drive home. He also wants to drive the dangerous curves of Peggy across dirty sheets. On their way to Pegs, Norman runs into a pedestrian on the highway. Panicking Noran drives away. it's a hit and run. At this point you may mistakenly think it's going to be an English version of Death of a Cyclist. Its not.

The marital infidelity continues on for a few months with Helen oblivious to it all until Peggy announces to Norman that she is pregnant. Now, Peggy puts pressure on Norman to divorce Helen. Norman agrees and he tells Helen that there is another woman. When he asks Helen for a divorce she refuses to give him one. Norman tells her its Peggy, and that she is pregnant. Helen counters that with asking Norman "how does he know if its his child?"

After Norman tells Peggy that Helen won't grant him a divorce, Norman devises a plan to kill Helen with the help of Peggy and a tape recorder to establish his alibi. This is all overheard by an eavesdropping Helen. Of course thing go Noirsville. 

Noirvsille 

All characters are quite believable and the film has got some great twists that make up for the lack of any interesting location work. 7/10