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Design for Murder

Original title: Trunk Crime
  • 1939
  • 1h
IMDb RATING
6.1/10
66
YOUR RATING
Manning Whiley in Design for Murder (1939)
DramaMysteryThriller

A somewhat unbalanced college student kidnaps the leader of a group of students that has been constantly mocking and harassing him, and plans to bury him alive in a trunk.A somewhat unbalanced college student kidnaps the leader of a group of students that has been constantly mocking and harassing him, and plans to bury him alive in a trunk.A somewhat unbalanced college student kidnaps the leader of a group of students that has been constantly mocking and harassing him, and plans to bury him alive in a trunk.

  • Director
    • Roy Boulting
  • Writers
    • Reginald Denham
    • Edward Percy
    • Francis Miller
  • Stars
    • Manning Whiley
    • Barbara Everest
    • Michael Drake
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • IMDb RATING
    6.1/10
    66
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Roy Boulting
    • Writers
      • Reginald Denham
      • Edward Percy
      • Francis Miller
    • Stars
      • Manning Whiley
      • Barbara Everest
      • Michael Drake
    • 6User reviews
    • 1Critic review
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro

    • Photos

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    Top cast15

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    Manning Whiley
    Manning Whiley
    • Bentley
    Barbara Everest
    Barbara Everest
    • Ursula
    Michael Drake
    • Grierson
    Hay Petrie
    Hay Petrie
    • Old Dan
    Thorley Walters
    Thorley Walters
    • Huey Frazer
    David Keir
    • Quiney
    Howard Douglas
    Howard Douglas
    • The landlord
    Tom Gill
    • Undergraduate
    Lewis Stringer
    • Hearty, Undergraduate
    Ian Fulton
    • Undergraduate
    Geoffrey Gabriel
    • Undergraduate
    Eileen Bennett
    • Eve
    Pamela Sharpe
    • Annie
    Charles Stevenson
    • The porter
    Patch
    • The Dog
    • Director
      • Roy Boulting
    • Writers
      • Reginald Denham
      • Edward Percy
      • Francis Miller
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Trivia
      Re-titled "The Crime Expert," this film's earliest documented USA telecasts took place in New York City Wednesday 27 June 1951 on WABD (Channel 5), in Los Angeles Thursday 12 June 1952 on KTTV (Channel 11), in Philadelphia Tuesday 29 July 1952 on WPTZ (Channel 3), in Dayton Wednesday 20 August 1952 on WHIO (Channel 13), in Baltimore Monday 8 September 1952 on WAAM (Channel 13), in Fort Worth Friday 5 December 1952 on KBAP (Channel 5), in Atlanta Thursday 27 August 1953 on WLW-A (Channel 8), in Detroit Friday 28 August 1953 on WXYZ (Channel 7), and in San Francisco Monday 14 December 1953 on KRON (Channel 4).
    • Quotes

      Bentley: This is extremely inconvenient.

      Ursula: Accidents are, aren't they?

      Bentley: I particularly wanted to be alone this evening. I've some very urgent work to do.

      Ursula: Now, don't be a donkey Mr Bentley. There's a girl in pain, can't walk. No car, no comfortable hotel for miles around.

    User reviews6

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    5/10

    First feature for the Boulting brother is an at times suspenseful thriller

    A slightly disturbed loner (Manning Whiley) and disturbed student plots to murder athe ringleader of fellow student (Michael Drake) bullies in his house and bury the body in a trunk.

    Released in the US as DESIGN FOR MURDER, the first feature (albeit short) film by the Boulting brothers is an at times tense grand guignol thriller cheap quickly shot briskly.
    • vampire_hounddog
    • Oct 22, 2020
    • Permalink

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 27, 1940 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • The Crime Expert
    • Filming locations
      • Gate Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK(as MP Studios)
    • Production company
      • Charter Film Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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