This week’s mystery movie was the 1954 Republic picture Laughing Anne, with Wendell Corey, Margaret Lockwood, Forrest Tucker and Ronald Shiner.
Color by Technicolor.
Screenplay by Pamela Bower.
Musical score composed and conducted by Anthony Collins.
Art direction by William C. Andrews.
Production manager J.D. Wilcox.
Associate Producer Eric Goodhead.
I’ve Fallen in Deep Water by Ted Grouya and Geoffrey Parsons.
All the World Is Mine on Sunday by Pierre Roch and Geoffrey Parsons.
Dance sequences by Philip and Betty Buchel.
Miss Lockwood’s dresses by Elizabeth Haffenden.
Unit manager John Brabourne.
Sound by Peter Handford and Red Law.
Assistant director Frank Hollands.
Edited by Basil Warren.
Associate art director Albert Witherick.
Camera operator Austin Dempster.
Makeup by Harold Fletcher.
Hairstyles by Nora Bentley.
Wardrobe by Maude Churchill.
Special effects by Wally Veevers and George Samuels.
Casting by Patricia Smith.
Set dressing by Leonard Townsend.
Technicolor consultant Joan Bridge.
Continuity by Phyllis Crocker.
Supervising Editor Reginald Beck.
A Wilcox-Neagle Production.
Produced at Shepperton Studios, England.
Photographed by Max Greene.
Produced and directed by Herbert Wilcox.
Further information on Laughing Anne is available from the AFI Catalog.
Laughing Anne is available on Amazon streaming.
::
As usual, I picked this week’s mystery movie by going through the trades and chose Laughing Anne partially because it’s obscure (at least I’d never heard of it) and because Wendell Corey plays a romantic lead and Forrest Tucker is a villain, which is some kind of casting.
I expect The New York Times to have ignored it or fobbed it off one one of the “alphabet critics.”
Yes, the as-yet-unidentified H.H.T. does not approve of such goings-on (May 8, 1954):
Laughing Anne, with Margaret Lockwood, Wendell Corey and Forrest Tucker, which Herbert Wilcox directed and produced in Britain, accompanied the Palace’s new stage bill yesterday. Moviewise, at least, the occasion was an inauspicious one.
Without elevating the general content and impact of this Republic presentation, however, two incidental ingredients set it slightly apart from the run-of-the-mill Javanese adventure drama. Always a man for pictorial respectability, Mr. Wilcox does quite nicely by an unelaborate budget, letting the Technicolor camera play over turn-of-the century gaslit rooms, shipboard and island exteriors and interiors. Several shots of a schooner braving awesome jungle waters are excellent.
Furthermore, the film is based on a work by that master yarn-spinner and psychological prober, Joseph Conrad. The trimmings remain. But Mr. Wilcox’s casual direction and a lusterless adaptation by Pamela Bower compress the story into a plodding reprise of thwarted love, sacrifice and skullduggery.
For Monday, we have a mysterious fellow.
Update: This is Nandi.
For “Tricky Tuesday,” we have an elegant mystery chap.
Update: This is Robert Harris.
For “Hm Wednesday,” we have a mysterious chap and a mystery cat.
Update: This is Ronald Shiner and Ginger the Cat.
We also have a mystery woman and Back of the Head Guy.
Update: This is Daphne Anderson and Forrest Tucker as Back of the Head Guy.
For “Aha Thursday,” our mysterious guest is living his best life.
Update: This is Forrest Tucker.
For Friday, we have our mysterious leading man and leading lady.
Update: This is Margaret Lockwood and Wendell Corey.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (mystery movie and all mystery guests), Mike Hawks (mystery movie and Wednesday’s and Thursday’s mystery guests), Jenny M. (mystery movie and Wednesday’s and Thursday’s mysterious fellows), Rick (Thursday’s mysterious future TV star), Anne “Ha Ha” Papineau (mystery movie and Tuesday’s, Wednesday’s and Thursday’s mystery guests plus mysterious cat), B.J. Merholz (mystery movie and Thursday’s mysterious future TV star), Roget-L.A. (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery guest), Sylvia E. (mystery movie and all mystery guests, plus mysterious cat), Benito (mysterious future TV star) and L.C. (mystery movie and mysterious cast).
ladailymirror.com 
Tamba Allen and MOBY DICK.
LikeLike
An interesting guess! But, alas, I’m afraid not.
LikeLike
John Gielgud.
LikeLike
An interesting guess, but alas…
LikeLike
Noel Coward today?
LikeLike
An interesting guess, but alas…
LikeLike
Alec Guinnes
LikeLike
Alas, I’m afraid not.
LikeLike
Arthur Treacher cuddling Muggs the Cat and Virgina Mayo snarking Troy Donahue.
LikeLike
Getting desperate here but is that Gary Cooper’s back?
Also, Wednesday’s cat lover sorta resembles Paul Ford.
LikeLike
LAUGHING ANNE. Randi Monday, Robert Harris Tuesday, Ronny Shiner Wednesday, Daphne Anderson and Forrest Tucker BOTH, Tucker today.
LikeLike
Ronald Shiner, Daphne Anderson and Forrest Tucker in LAUGHING ANNE.
LikeLike
Ronald Shiner and Forrest Tucker in Laughing Anne.
LikeLike
Forrest Tucker
LikeLike
On “Tricky Tuesday,” Robert Harris, followed by Ronald Shiner and Ginger the cat, plus Daphne Anderson and Forrest Tucker as BOTHG. On Thursday, full frontal Forrest, in “Laughing Anne.”
LikeLike
Here’s Laughing at you, Forrest!
LikeLike
Forrest Tucker in Laughing Anne (1953)
LikeLike
“Laughing Anne” 1953
Monday – not sure who this Javanese sailor is. But if his character’s name is Charley, I found a site that says the actor’s name is Nandi. Looking forward to your reveal.
Tuesday – Robert Harris, dressed in his Joseph Conrad outfit, ‘stache’ and beard.
Wednesday – Ronald Shiner with his assistant (described as a “marmalade blonde” by Gerald Bowman of the Liverpool Echo) a wonderful actress cat named Ginger. Per Mr Bowman , Ginger resided in Neasden and was picked up and driven to the studio for her scenes by an executive, then taken home by 5pm. Who knows if that’s a true story, but it got a grin out of me. Ginger steals the show in the clips I found.
Thursday – my way into the film, mister Forrest Tucker (what a baby face!)
LikeLike
Forgot our lady in the bar and friend. She is Daphne Anderson and the BOTHG Wendell Corey, I think.
LikeLike
Forrest Tucker, aka Sgt O’Rourke
LikeLike
Laughing Anne (1954)/Margaret Lockwood, Forrest Tucker, Wendell Corey, Ronald Shiner…
LikeLike
Margaret Lockwood and Wendell Corey today.
LikeLike
Margaret Lockwood and Wendell Corey.
LikeLike
Margaret Lockwood and Wendell Corey.
LikeLike
“Laughing Anne” 1953 with Wendell Corey, Forrest Tucker, Margaret Lockwood. Color by Technicolor!
LikeLike