Cast a Dark Shadow

Play trailer

Cast a Dark Shadow

1955

1h 24m

Mystery & Thriller

Crime

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

83%

Tomatometer

6 Reviews

69%

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Edward Teddy Bare (Dirk Bogarde) is a ruthless schemer who thinks he's hit the big time when he kills his older wife (Mona Washbourne), believing he will inherit a fortune. When things don't go according to plan, Teddy sets his sights on a new victim: wealthy widow Freda Jeffries (Margaret Lockwood). Unfortunately for the unscrupulous criminal, Freda is much more guarded and sassy than his last wife, making separating her from her money considerably more challenging.

James Kendrick

Q Network Film Desk

The narrative drags a bit in the middle, but Bogarde is always on hand to inject some nasty energy

Rated: 2.5/4

Jun 19, 2021

Full Review

Christopher Lloyd

The Film Yap

This moody British film noir with Dirk Bogarde as a cunning killer of wives is now out in a terrific new Blu-ray edition.

Rated: 4/5

May 3, 2021

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

The ending could be stronger, but Margaret Lockwood is a standout.

Rated: 3/4

Apr 30, 2021

Full Review

Clyde Gilmour

Maclean's Magazine

A solid little murder thriller from Britain.

Nov 7, 2019

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 3/5

Jul 14, 2005

Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

This woman-in-peril thriller is well acted, but director Lewis Gilbert fails to draw much tension from the perilous setup situation.

Rated: C+

Oct 26, 2002

Full Review

Read all reviews

Alain E

Pretty solid thriller. Personally I prefer Bogarde the way he looked older as in the Night Porter. Here he plays convincingly the psychopathic killer. Regarding the final scene, if you find yourself going downhill in a car without brakes you steer the car away from the cliff so it stops through friction. In the movie the whole scene is obviously fake as we see the car breaking in multiple little pieces as if it was manufactured of balsa wood.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

12/28/24

Full Review

Travis E

Excellent noir with great performances.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/22/24

Full Review

Mark S

It’s an absolute must see.. dark thriller. The wonderful Dirk Bogarde - what an amazing actor indeed.. and those eyes.. plus the superb Ms Lockwood. It’s got the same feel that the Boulting brothers “ Brighton Rock” had.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/27/24

Full Review

Ted B

3.5 stars; The plot was very Hitchcockian. I like the way the Brits can take a noir movie and add twists and turns to keep you guessing on how it will turn out. Not everything is as you think. Dirk Bogarde plays a cunning gigolo whose plan to become wealthy is. to murder his wives and collect their inheritance. Things don't go as planned after he murders his first wife and moves on to the second one. This is a 70-year-old movie but still plays well to today's audiences.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

06/05/24

Full Review

Tamara K

I love movies where the evil murderer dies.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/06/24

Full Review

Audience Member

Bogarde is not the charmer he is supposed to be in this film, as his sinister glances dominate most of the scenes. That said, the story doesn't work very well. Nice production, though.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/21/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Lewis Gilbert

Director

Dirk Bogarde

Edward "Teddy" Bare

Margaret Lockwood

Freda Jeffries

Kathleen Harrison

Emmie

Kay Walsh

Charlotte Young

Robert Flemyng

Phillip Mortimer

A Kind of Murder

35%

17%

A Kind of Murder

Watchlist

TRAILER

for A Kind of Murder

Lies We Tell

0%

29%

Lies We Tell

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Lies We Tell

Galveston

73%

54%

Galveston

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Galveston

Dead Man Down

42%

47%

Dead Man Down

Watchlist

Motherless Brooklyn

65%

80%

Motherless Brooklyn

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Motherless Brooklyn

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Synopsis

Edward Teddy Bare (Dirk Bogarde) is a ruthless schemer who thinks he's hit the big time when he kills his older wife (Mona Washbourne), believing he will inherit a fortune. When things don't go according to plan, Teddy sets his sights on a new victim: wealthy widow Freda Jeffries (Margaret Lockwood). Unfortunately for the unscrupulous criminal, Freda is much more guarded and sassy than his last wife, making separating her from her money considerably more challenging.

Director: Lewis Gilbert
Screenwriter: John Cresswell
Production Co: Angel Productions
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Crime, Drama
Original Language: British English
Release Date (DVD): Apr 1, 2011
Runtime: 1h 24m

Most Popular at Home Now