Three stories of murder and the supernatural. In the first, a museum worker is introduced to a world behind the pictures he sees every day. Second, when two lifelong friends fall in love with the same woman and she is killed, they are obvious suspects. Is their friendship strong enough for them to alibi each other? Third, when a young politician is terribly hurt by the arrogant Secretary for Foreign Affairs Lord Mountdrago, he uses Mountdrago's dreams to get revenge.

Orson Welles received top billing, but he appears only in "Lord Mountdrago." According to Patrick Macnee, who had a supporting role, Welles began making suggestions to director George More O'Ferrall throughout the first day of filming, and by the third day he had taken over the direction of the entire segment.

Does this surprise anyone? Of course Welles would be the star to draw audiences in, and of course he would try to take over the production, because that was very much the sort of chap he was. For better or worse, a film starring Welles was very much a Welles film.

As far as anthologies go, this one is not often remembered. And as far as horror anthologies go (if this even counts),it seems all but forgotten, overshadowed by the later Amicus films. I love Amicus, and it is hard to beat them, but surely this film must have been some influence on the later Amicus and Hammer productions.

THREE CASES OF MURDER is a fun if little known British horror anthology, consisting of three stories all linked by murder and mysterious death. This is very much a cosy little production in which the horror and fantastic elements are played down, but it does share stylistic similarities with the likes of the Ealing classic DEAD OF NIGHT. It's much tamer than the later Amicus anthologies.

As ever, the quality of the stories is mixed, with the first being the best. The main character is the curator of an art gallery who learns of the mysterious background of a particularly atmospheric painting of a spooky old house. He visits the house itself and the sinister occupiers, as well as the artist, only to learn of a terrifying secret. This story boasts strong acting and some great visuals and it's the highlight of the film - and the most supernatural.

The second story is the weakest of the trio and also instantly forgettable. A couple of guys are accused of the murder of a girl, and each provides an alibi for the other. The characters are weak and unmemorable and nothing much happens. The third story is dominated by the presence of star Orson Welles who brings a ton of bluster and charisma to his role of the unpleasant House of Lords member who finds himself haunted by a rival in his dreams. It's essentially an extension of the whole Macbeth/Banquo angle yet Welles makes it his own and lifts the material considerably. The humour might be a bit too broad here but it's a nice way to end a fun and atmospheric little production.

There are three "murder" stories in this anthology film, two of them with fantastic plots -- in the sense of being fantasies, rather than very good. Eamon Andrews introduces each segment. Alan Badel is the only performer who appears in all three segments, which are based on stories by Somerset Moore, Brett Halliday and Roderick Wilkinson.

After the weird fantasy of the first story, I found the second, a far more standard whodunnit to be a letdown, and by the time it returned to a dream structure with the third one, there was an air of pretension to the entire affair, despite it starring Orson Welles ... or perhaps because of it.

Anthology films are nothing new in movies, of course. INTOLERANCE is an early example. Yet Griffith's movie depends on the individual stories supporting each other, and in being edited to that end. Yet structurally, there is a problem in looking at a single film that tells three separate stories: there's no real sense of completion. No sooner do you end the first story, ready for a break, or at least a change of pace, than you began the second, and it's more of the same. With this one, when the third story ends, despite the talent involved, it seems to trail off. The individual stories are very good, but the net effect is one of exhaustion.