Take My Life

A little-known British thriller that deserves a more prominent position in noir circles, Ronald Neame’s Take My Life depicts the brutal murder of a mysterious woman in the rarefied milieu of London opera and Scottish boarding schools. On trial for strangling second-tier violinist and old flame Elizabeth Rusman (Rosalie Crutchley) and setting her body on fire, business manager Nick Talbot (Hugh Williams) faces execution unless his wife, acclaimed opera star Philippa Shelley (Greta Gynt), can track down the real killer. With no record of the victim’s life over the past three years, a piece of sheet music found in her apartment is Philippa’s only clue, which leads her up north to make the acquaintance of a creepy school headmaster, Sidney Fleming (Marius Goring). Aside from strong performances and an excellent script, which takes an unusual approach to backing into the trial, John Bryan’s production design is beautiful (a church-like courtroom, spotlighted opera stages, rain-soaked streets and alleyways) and William Alwyn’s score intensifies in all the right places, particularly the murder scene.