Scotland Yard

Edgar Lustgarten introduces

SCOTLAND YARD
1 THE DRAYTON CASE 7*
2 The Missing Man 4*
3 THE CANDLELIGHT MURDER 6*
4 THE BLAZING CARAVAN 7*
5 The Dark Stairway 5*
6 Late Night Final 4*
7 FATAL JOURNEY 6*
8 THE STRANGE CASE OF BLONDIE 7*
9 THE SILENT WITNESS
10 PASSENGER TO TOKYO 6*
11 NIGHT PLANE TO AMSTERDAM 6*
12 THE STATELESS MAN 3*

13 THE MYSTERIOUS BULLET 2*
14 MURDER ANONYMOUS 3*
16 CASE OF THE RIVER MORGUE 4*
17 DESTINATION DEATH 5*
18 Person Unknown 6*
19 THE LONELY HOUSE 8*
20 BULLET FROM THE PAST 6*
21 Inside Information 5*
22 THE CASE OF THE SMILING WIDOW 6*
23 THE MAIL VAN MURDER 4*
24 The Tyburn Case 7*
25 THE WHITE CLIFFS MYSTERY 6*
26 NIGHT CROSSING 5*

27 PRINT OF DEATH 5*
28 CRIME OF HONOUR 5*
29 The Cross Road Gallows 5*
30 THE UNSEEING EYE 6*
31 THE GHOST TRAIN MURDER 6*
32 The Dover Road Mystery 7*
33 THE LAST TRAIN 5*
34 Evidence in Concrete 6*
35 THE SILENT WEAPON 6*
36 The Grand Junction Case 5*
37 THE NEVER NEVER MURDER 6*
38 Wings Of Death 1*
39 THE SQUARE MILE MURDER 4*

SCALES OF JUSTICE
1 The Guilty Party 2*
2 A Woman's Privilege 2*
3 Moment of Decision 3*
4 Position of Trust 1*
5 The Undesirable Neighbour 2*
6 Invisible Asset 5*
7 Personal and Confidential 2*
8 Hidden Face 4*
9 Material Witness 8*
10 Company of Fools 6*
11 The Haunted Man 5*
12 Infamous Conduct 1*
13 Payment in Kind 6*

"Scotland Yard" was a series of 39 films made at Merton Park Studios from 1953 to 1961 as cinema second features. From 1962 Edgar Lustgarten hosted 13 courtroom dramas under the title "Scales of Justice," the series ending in 1967 when the studios closed.
Scotland Yard was retitled Casebook, slightly cut to a 25 minute running time and shown on tv in the early sixties. Channel Four repeated much of the series with its original title Scotland Yard in the 80's, and also premiered Scales of Justice. Bravo screened the same episodes of Scotland Yard in the early 90's.
The first introduction to the series was pronounced in a dramatic voice thus- "Scotland Yard! Nerve centre of London's Metropolitan Police, headquarters of its Department of Criminal Investigation. Scotland Yard! A name that appears on almost every page of the annals of crime detection. Scotland Yard! Where night and day a determined body of men carry on a relentless unceasing crusade against crime. . . Stored deep in the heart of Scotland Yard are the records of thousands of cases, histories of every breach of the law from larceny to murder, stories of human weakness, of greed and envy, of cunning and stupidity."
A second more sober introduction coincided with new pictures shot in daylight of the area round the Yard: "Scotland Yard- nevre centre of London's department of criminal investigation. Here brains, science, routine and determination join forces in the constant war against crime. In the vaults beneath Scotland Yard are the histories of thousands of cases, evidence of the department's long standing and successful battle with the criminal."
A later introduction, was this- "London- greatest city in the world, and home of the oldest democracy. A city whose worldwide reputation for honesty and integrity is firmly based on a thousand years of the rule of law, enforced and safeguarded by a police force, whose headquarters is as well known as London itself- Scotland Yard! .. Filed in the Records Department of Scotland Yard are the histories of thousands of cases, evidence of the long standing and successful battle with the criminal

To other - Merton Park Films . . To TV Crime Menu

THE MISSING MAN (1953 - released July 20th)
The Neil Case written and directed by Ken Hughes.
Rather unusual episode, with Edgar dabbling in the paranormal, and a vicar doing the sleuthing!
The Yard is represented by Inspector Johnson, though it's Supt Wainwright and Sgt Rogers who wrap the case up.

Spring 1938 - Gerald Neil's parents come to visit their engineer son in London. He's not at his digs. His landlady says he was called away to Paris "on urgent business." A "dark friend" had called later to collect his belongings. With Ł3,000 transferred from his English bank to his French account, he's probably enjoying himself! The Surete are contacted by the Yard and friendly relations are established-
"Bonjour," commences the English policeman. The Frenchman of course speak viz ze French English - " 'E vizdraws all 'is monnay.... oui... Monsieur Neil." Case seems closed.
"I can't help feeling he's in some sort of trouble," declares his father, Rev John Neil (Tristan Rawson) . Then Neil's mother has a dream - she sees a gnarled tree at a farm, destroyed by fire. And her son being thrown down the well.
John follows the vision up. He meets a friend of his son, Peter Willis, who had been due to "pop across" to Paris with Gerald that fateful day. Neil never turned up. Conclusion - someone took his place. The vicar learns of Neil's business friend, a James Wilson who lived at Oak Tree Farm Oldbury Kent. He visits the rubble of this now deserted farm, uncannily like his wife's dream, and then summons the Yard. The well is excavated and the inevitable follows. The vicar sadly identifies his son.
Even Uncle Edgar says he can't explain this true story. "Whether Wilson murdered Neil or not, nobody was ever able to prove it."

(Note- Katharine Page as the landlady is billed here as Kathleen Paige.)

Scotland Yard Menu

THE DARK STAIRWAY (1953 - release date April 12th 1954)
The Greek Street Murder
Story and direction by Ken Hughes
Inspector Jack Harmer (Russell Napier), assisted by Sgt Gifford (Vincent Ball).
(Harmer has a jolly but patronising attitude to his "junior" calling him also "my lad,"sonny" etc).

The date is Friday 4th January 1952 - the murder of Harry Carpenter, "small time criminal and petty gangster." We hear him address his killer as Joe. An old lady hears an argument and finds a blind man on the stairs crouching over a dead man. He'd been stabbed.
In Harry's flat police discover the picture of Molly Stephens (Gene Anderson). Edgar tells us that Carpenter had been a "Squeaker," testifying against Joseph Lloyd (Edwin Richfield), his partner in a mail bag robbery. Lloyd had just been released from jail.
Clever Inspector Harmer finds the murder weapon hidden in a toilet cistern in Nic's Club, and he can prove Lloyd had been to the loo there on the night of the murder! But there are no fingerprints on the knife, so he needs more proof. And he still has to trace Lloyd. One of those hunches leads him to Brixton and a fellow lag of Lloyd's, who puts him in the direction of Molly, a singer. Harmer searches for her in Charlie's Club and numerous other low spots until, he declares "my feet are killing me!" At last she's found, and skulking with her is Lloyd.
Blind man George Benson who was at the killing can't be much use as an eyewitness. There follows "one of the strangest identity parades ever enacted within the walls of any British police station." Benson manages to identify Lloyd, but it's not done visually of course. The "sweet smell like scent" that Lloyd uses and his voice lead to "Lloyd's blurted confession."

Note - the use of negative pictures to show a blind man's perception of murder isn't new, but it's nicely done by director Ken Hughes.
To Scotland Yard Menu

LATE NIGHT FINAL (1953 - cinema release date- Sept 13th 1954)
The Burrage Case
featuring Colin Tapley as Det Insp Turner, assisted by Detective Conway.
The story of "The Man Who Died Twice." Edgar points out some unusual facets of the case - 1 that police were looking for the dead man before he was murdered and 2 more than one person was brought to justice for more than one crime.
Joe, an old newspaper vendor witnesses the theft of Ł3,000 worth of goods stolen from warehouse. At an 11am police identity parade he fails to identify the criminals, and by 2pm he has disappeared from his pitch. Says a police sergeant, whose face we don't quite see, but whose voice sounds like Russell Napier's, "he's probably gone on the booze." Police call at his digs and find a suitcase of clothing, but it's not Joe's. Who does it belong to?
When a body is found on Hackney Marshes, Insp Turner plays a hunch. There seems to be no connection with his case as the corpse is aged about 36, whilst Joe must have been nearly 60. But Mrs Brown's Hand Laundry van is found with bloodstains of the same group as that of the dead man. A search is made for the van driver, Richard Arthur Woolland (Richard Shaw). At his home, under floorboards, is discovered more clothing, This time it is Joe's. In his pockets - cocaine. More investigation, and the leader of these drug dealers, who's also the corpse on the marshes, is a Richard Crawford. It was the old story of baddies falling out amongst themselves. So how does this tie in with the disappearance of Joe Burrage? Edgar explains all.
Scotland Yard Menu