"The Snorkel" in spite of the rather unusual title, is a gripping little murder mystery from Britain's Hammer studios. Filmed in glorious black and white, it is essentially a three character story where we know the identity of the killer straight away..
The film opens with Paul Decker (Peter Van Eyck) carefully taping off a room a, sealing the windows and turning on the gas while his drugged wife lies helplessly on a couch. He then dons a scuba mask with snorkel to await the inevitable end. When he hears the servants approaching, he climbs into a prepared hiding place beneath the floor boards through a trap door.
Step-daughter Candy Brown (Mandy Miller) returns home with her companion Jean Edwards (Betta St. John) to learn of her mother's "suicide". She immediately accuses Paul of murder. The Police Inspector (Gregoire Pislan) rules it a suicide as the room was locked from the inside and all airways blocked. An official from the American consulate, Wilson (William Franklyn) arrives on the scene and offers his assistance, particularly to Jean.
Decker of course vehemently denies murdering his wife and shows false sadness to anyone who will listen. Candy persists in her belief that Decker murdered her mother AND she also believes that he drowned her father some years earlier to gain access to her mother's fortune. Candy's little dog Toto discovers Decker's scuba mask in his romm and persists in bringing it to Decker's attention. Decker, fearing exposure poisons the dog.
One day while picnicking at the beach, Candy goes in for a swim. Paul and Jean fear that Candy has swam out too far. Decker sees his chance to dispose of the meddlesome Candy. He swims out to "recue" her and tries to drown her but is prevented from doing so when Jean swims out to join them.
Finally, Decker believing that Candy is going to expose him decides to get rid of her in the same manner as her mother. All is going according to plan even to the point of Decker's hiding beneath the floorboards. When Wilson and Jean arrive in the nick of time, they convince Candy that Decker is not hiding within. Then something unexpected happens and.............................................
Nobody can craft a suspense film like the British. The cat and mouse game between Decker and Candy is mesmerizing as the young girl tries to alert everyone to Decker's sinister plans. Peter Van Eyck, who rarely got to play the lead, is scary as the scheming murderer and young Mandy Miller makes a worthy opponent as she tries to expose him.
Great entertainment..
The film opens with Paul Decker (Peter Van Eyck) carefully taping off a room a, sealing the windows and turning on the gas while his drugged wife lies helplessly on a couch. He then dons a scuba mask with snorkel to await the inevitable end. When he hears the servants approaching, he climbs into a prepared hiding place beneath the floor boards through a trap door.
Step-daughter Candy Brown (Mandy Miller) returns home with her companion Jean Edwards (Betta St. John) to learn of her mother's "suicide". She immediately accuses Paul of murder. The Police Inspector (Gregoire Pislan) rules it a suicide as the room was locked from the inside and all airways blocked. An official from the American consulate, Wilson (William Franklyn) arrives on the scene and offers his assistance, particularly to Jean.
Decker of course vehemently denies murdering his wife and shows false sadness to anyone who will listen. Candy persists in her belief that Decker murdered her mother AND she also believes that he drowned her father some years earlier to gain access to her mother's fortune. Candy's little dog Toto discovers Decker's scuba mask in his romm and persists in bringing it to Decker's attention. Decker, fearing exposure poisons the dog.
One day while picnicking at the beach, Candy goes in for a swim. Paul and Jean fear that Candy has swam out too far. Decker sees his chance to dispose of the meddlesome Candy. He swims out to "recue" her and tries to drown her but is prevented from doing so when Jean swims out to join them.
Finally, Decker believing that Candy is going to expose him decides to get rid of her in the same manner as her mother. All is going according to plan even to the point of Decker's hiding beneath the floorboards. When Wilson and Jean arrive in the nick of time, they convince Candy that Decker is not hiding within. Then something unexpected happens and.............................................
Nobody can craft a suspense film like the British. The cat and mouse game between Decker and Candy is mesmerizing as the young girl tries to alert everyone to Decker's sinister plans. Peter Van Eyck, who rarely got to play the lead, is scary as the scheming murderer and young Mandy Miller makes a worthy opponent as she tries to expose him.
Great entertainment..