House Of The Arrow, The
1895. THE HOUSE OF THE ARROW (1953-ENGLAND). With Oscar Homolka. A solid murder mystery in which Oscar Homolka offers a crafty performance as Inspector Hanaud. He’s the Parisian policeman who is “the most clever detective in all France.” Hanaud is adept at playing mil games with the various individuals involved in a case. Outwardly, he is friendly and amusing, but beneath this deceptive demeanor lies a brilliant mind which delights in going one-on-one with the cleverest criminals. The inspector’s latest sleuthing takes place in Dijon, and involves the murder an elderly widow who seemed to have died of natural causes but who actually had been poisoned. The most obvious suspect is Betty Harlowe, the victim’s adopted daughter, who was the niece of her late husband and who has inherited the deceased’s entire fortune. Add to the mix a gallery of other characters, beginning with a very proper (and easily fooled) British lawyer, and the result is a thoroughly intoxicating mystery which is crammed with assorted surprises and delights. 75 minutes.