The Hour of 13

The heist at an 1890 soiree is flawlessly executed, and the Calgurie Emerald that adorned the neck of Mrs. Chumley Orr rests in the pocket of clever gentleman thief Nicholas Revel. But something else happens that night that even Revel couldn't foresee. A bobby is murdered nearby, the latest in a string of murders of London constables. The crime convinces authorities that the thief and the killer are the same, so Scotland Yard turns its attention to Revel and his confreres in crime. Peter Lawford plays Revel, who must use his ingenuity to capture the killer and clear his own name. Adding to the appeal of this gaslit-London period mystery (based on a book by venerable thriller writer Philip MacDonald): Roland Culver, Michael Hordern and other estimable British talents.

THE HOUR OF 13 is a leisurely remake of the 1934 thriller THE MYSTERY OF MR. X. The year is 1890: London is being plagued by a series of murders. The victims are all policemen, and the killer seems to be operating in a deliberate pattern. Suave jewel thief Nicholas Revel (Peter Lawford) is compelled to seek out the killer, lest he himself be accused of murder by his friendly enemy, Inspector Connor (Roland Culver). Filmed at MGM's British facilities, THE HOUR OF 13 makes excellent use of several topnotch English supporting actors, including Dawn Addams, Derek Bond, Leslie Dwyer, Michael Hordern, and Colin Gordon. The original MYSTERY OF MR. X made the tactical blunder of revealing the killer's identity in the opening credits; happily, HOUR OF 13 does not repeat this error.