Obsession

This neatly packaged film noir is proof that you don't need violence to create tension. In fact, it is implied violence that builds the suspense.

Robert Newton is Clive Riordan, a doctor who takes matters into his own hands when he discovers his wife (Sally Gray) is indulging in one affair too many with American diplomat Bill Kronin (Phil Brown).

Riordan squirrels Kronin away into a hidden room and embarks on an elaborate plan to exact his revenge and dispose of the body without being discovered. The only man standing between him and his goal is Superintendent Finsbury (Naunton Wayne), whose "just one more thing" technique puts you in mind of a latter day Columbo.

Newton's central performance is the key to the film's success. He maintains the tension even when the writer sees fit to throw in unnecessary comedy - even in 1949, there should have been no excuse for a deaf butler - and a fluffy plotline about a dog.

Overall, a successful thriller and one that could teach modern day directors a thing or two about building suspense without spilling blood.