Review of The Verdict (1946) by Brian B — 01 Nov 2009

Sydney Greenstreet is given a rare lead role in this fun locked room murder mystery that is also the directorial debut of Don Siegel who would go on the film the original "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" and "Dirty Harry.

" The film is also the the last to pair Greenstreet with Peter Lorre. Siegel handles the budget production expertly, setting the action in fog and shadow. With some terrific actors, he conjures the kind of ripping yarn thatâ??s a pure pleasure to watch.

Even the awful Cockney accents of the bit players add cheesy fun. Siegel uses expressionistic camera angles, careful lighting (witness the ghoulish delight that is the exhumation scene), and inventive model work (as in the opening shot) to conjure an elegantly bogus Victorian London that looks like the one you imagine when reading a Sherlock Holmes story.