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The Hypnotist
The Hypnotist
	UK poster
Directed by	Montgomery Tully
Written by	Montgomery Tully
Based on	a play by Falkland Cary
Produced by	Alec C. Snowden
Starring	Paul Carpenter; Patricia Roc; Roland Culver;
Cinematography	Phil Grindrod
Edited by	Geoffrey Muller
Music by	Trevor Duncan
Production; company	Merton Park Studios
Distributed by	Anglo-Amalgamated Film Distributors (UK)
Release date	29 July 1957 (UK);
Running time	89 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

The Hypnotist (U.S. title Scotland Yard Dragnet) is a 1957 British thriller film directed and written by Montgomery Tully and starring Paul Carpenter, Patricia Roc and Roland Culver.^[1]^[2] It is based on a 1956 play by Falkland Cary.

Premise

A hypnotist has grown sick of his wife and attempts to convince one of his patients to murder her.

Cast

Roland Culver as Dr. Francis Pelham
Patricia Roc as Mary Foster
Paul Carpenter as Valentine 'Val' Neal
William Hartnell as Inspector Ross
Gordon Needham as Detective Sergeant Davis
Edgar Driver as Atkins, the porter
Tom Tann as Wang, the houseboy
Ellen Pollock as Miss Barbara Barton
Robert Sansom as senior test flight official
Martin Wyldeck as Dr. Bradford
John Serret as Dr. Martin
Oliver Johnston as Dr. Kenyon
Kay Callard as jazz club blonde
Tim Fitzgerald as Val as a boy
Mary Jones as Val's mother

Critical reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "The narrative of this murder mystery is so hung about with rambling and unconnected sub-plots as to become hopelessly confused. A most inept performance by Paul Carpenter only adds to the muddle; but there is some good playing by Kay Callard and Ellen Pollock."^[3]

The Radio Times wrote "Irish-born director Montgomery Tully was one of the key figures in the British B-movie industry during the 1950s and 1960s. This is one of his better efforts, as psychiatrist Roland Culver attempts to frame disturbed test pilot Paul Carpenter for the murder of his wife. Culver does a nice line in evil manipulation and Patricia Roc is typically spirited as the girlfriend standing by her man."^[4]

TV Guide wrote: "the film drags on and on, going nowhere and taking too long to get there."^[5]

In British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959 David Quinlan rated the film as "mediocre", writing: "Unlikely tale does ramble on."^[6]

References

^ "The Hypnotist". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
^ Vagg, Stephen (12 January 2025). "Forgotten British Moguls: Nat Cohen – Part One (1905-56)". Filmink. Retrieved 12 January 2025.
^ "The Hypnotist". The Monthly Film Bulletin. 24 (276): 102. 1 January 1957 – via ProQuest.
^ "The Hypnotist | Film review and movie reviews". Radio Times. 8 April 2013. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
^ "Scotland Yard Dragnet Review". Movies.tvguide.com. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
^ Quinlan, David (1984). British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959. London: B.T. Batsford Ltd. p. 325. ISBN 0-7134-1874-5.