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  • The Orchard End Murder (1981)
  • 48 min | Drama, Thriller
The Orchard End Murder (1981)
48 min | Drama, Thriller

Charthurst Green, Kent, 1966. Pauline Cox accompanies Mike Robins to a village cricket match in which he is playing, but becomes bored and wanders away. She fetches up at the local railway halt, where she is first entertained to tea by the...See moreCharthurst Green, Kent, 1966. Pauline Cox accompanies Mike Robins to a village cricket match in which he is playing, but becomes bored and wanders away. She fetches up at the local railway halt, where she is first entertained to tea by the garrulous, hunchbacked station keeper, then upset by the intrusion of the latter's assistant Ewen, who proceeds to kill a rabbit in her presence. Making her way back to the match, Pauline is waylaid by the simple-minded Ewen as she crosses an apple orchard; when his advances become violent, she tries to fight him off and he strangles her. That evening, the hunchback discovers Ewen with Pauline's body in the shack where he lives, and helps him to bury the corpse in the orchard. Later, however, Ewen inadvertently betrays himself: the body is disinterred by the police and Ewen breaks down hysterically. Years later, the hunchback, who has disavowed Ewen, encourages the friendship of another village youth. Peter Jessop's carefully textured camera work initially lends this mini-feature an edge of the picturesquely sinister. But the resolution of the anecdote is rather forced and anti-climactic, and some of the details (like the police searching the orchard at the dead of night) ring distractingly false. All the same, it represents a debut of some promise. Written by Anonymous See less
Read more: Plot summary
Writer
Christian Marnham (written by)
Producer
Composer
Cinematographer
Peter Jessop (photographed by)
Editor
Casting Director
Production Designer
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Status
Edit Released
Updated Nov 1, 1981

Release date
Nov 1, 1981 (United Kingdom)

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Cast

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15 cast members
Name Known for
Bill Wallis
Railway Gatekeeper Railway Gatekeeper   See fewer
Tracy Hyde
Pauline Cox Pauline Cox   See fewer
Raymond Adamson
Mr. Wickstead Mr. Wickstead   See fewer
Mark Hardy
Robins Robins   See fewer
Cyril Cross
Village Policeman Village Policeman   See fewer
Jessie Evans
Mrs. Trowel Mrs. Trowel   See fewer
Mollie Maureen
Old Lady on Station Old Lady on Station   See fewer
David Wilkinson
Bat'sman Bat'sman   See fewer
Geoffrey Frederick
Cricket Captain Cricket Captain   See fewer
Peter Hutchins
Detective Detective   See fewer
Alexander John
Radio News Reader (voice) Radio News Reader (voice)   See fewer
Alan Neame
Rector Rector   See fewer
Rik Mayall
Policeman (uncredited) Policeman (uncredited)   See fewer
Jeremy Watt
Bowler (uncredited) Bowler (uncredited)   See fewer
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