Chase a Crooked Shadow

Associated Dragon Films

Company type	Film production company
Industry	Film production
Founded	1957
Founder	Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Pamela Woolworth
Headquarters	United Kingdom
Products	Films

Chase a Crooked Shadow—also released under the title Sleep No More—is a 1958 British thriller directed by Michael Anderson. The film stars Richard Todd, Anne Baxter, and Herbert Lom and represents the inaugural production of Associated Dragon Films, a company established by Douglas Fairbanks Jr..

Plot

Kimberly Prescott, a diamond heiress from South Africa, is grieving her father’s recent suicide at their Spanish estate when a man arrives claiming to be her brother Ward—who was believed dead following a car accident. Despite Kimberly’s attempts to involve the police, the man produces credible documents and photographs asserting his identity as Ward. Initially skeptical, the local police chief Vargas questions Kimberly’s accusations.

The following day, a woman introducing herself as Mrs Whitman, a close acquaintance of Ward's, appears; Kimberly’s maid is granted leave while a butler takes her place. Kimberly reaches out to her Uncle Chan, who unexpectedly accepts the imposter as his nephew. Suspecting a plot to seize control of her inheritance, Kimberly resists pressure from "Ward" and Mrs Whitman to transfer authority via a will. "Ward" further accuses Kimberly of theft from their late father's diamond vault. Under duress, she admits to concealing the diamonds in Tangiers and signs paperwork appointing "Ward" as her bank agent there.

When Kimberly tries to flee to a beach house on the property, Vargas tails her and begins to believe her story after reviewing the suspicious will. He advises obtaining an item bearing "Ward"'s fingerprints for confirmation. During an encounter on the terrace framed as flirtation over brandy, Kimberly retrieves a metal container holding the diamonds from the beach house chimney.

Confronted by her captors with the diamonds, she is coerced into signing the will. When they suggest a boat outing—raising fears of being drowned—Kimberly escapes indoors and appeals to Vargas for assistance. Unexpectedly, he confirms that the fingerprints match those of her brother. Overwhelmed, Kimberly confesses she tampered with Ward’s car brakes, causing his fatal accident.

The narrative twist reveals that "Ward" and Mrs Whitman are undercover detectives investigating the missing diamonds and uncovering facts about Ward’s demise.

Cast

• Richard Todd as Ward McKenzie Prescott Jr.
• Anne Baxter as Kimberley Prescott
• Herbert Lom as Inspector Vargas
• Faith Brook as Elaine Whitman
• Alexander Knox as Chandler Bridson
• Alan Tilvern as Carlos
• Thelma D'Aguilar as Maria

Production

Initially named The Prescott Affair, the screenplay was acquired by Dragon Films, co-owned by heiress Pamela Woolworth (niece of F.W. Woolworth) and Douglas Fairbanks Jr., who had previously produced The Silken Affair (1956). The script was developed with assistance from television writers David Osborn and Charles Sinclair. At first, Roy Kellino was slated to both produce and direct, with David Niven announced as the original male lead.

Funding was secured through the Associated British Picture Corporation (ABPC), which maintained a distribution agreement with Warner Bros. The company rebranded as Associated Dragon for this project. ABPC’s involvement brought director Michael Anderson and actor Richard Todd on board. The film’s title shifted from Sleep No More to Chase a Crooked Shadow, with principal photography commencing in May 1957. Douglas Fairbanks Jr. declined a pressured cameo role. Significant exterior sequences were filmed along Costa Brava locations in Tamariu and Palamos. The musical score prominently features guitar compositions performed by Julian Bream.

Richard Todd later recalled that early screenings left the production team confident in their strong cinematic offering.

Critical reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin praised Michael Anderson's direction as "remarkably ingenious," but noted that the film does not achieve Hitchcock’s finesse in merging fantasy with reality, leading to a continuous build-up of tension without satisfying climaxes. Anne Baxter and Faith Brook were commended for their lively portrayals, while Richard Todd’s performance was considered competent.

In his review for The New York Times, Bosley Crowther criticized the storyline as overly complicated and found the melodramatic elements uninspiring, describing the film as "a moderately well-executed program picture" featuring conventional suspense.

Leonard Maltin awarded the movie three out of four stars, characterizing it as an "engaging melodrama reminiscent of Hitchcock’s style."

David Quinlan, in British Sound Films, referred to it as a "thrilling and nerve-wracking suspense film."

According to Leslie Halliwell, the film is a "cleverly constructed suspense melodrama" with proficient direction and an adequately surprising conclusion.

The Radio Times Guide to Films gave it a 3/5 rating, recognizing director Michael Anderson’s skill in sustaining audience interest despite a "far-fetched thriller" narrative. Anne Baxter was highlighted for delivering one of her finest performances as a psychologically disturbed woman convinced her estranged brother (Richard Todd) seeks to steal her diamonds.

Indian remakes and adaptations

Chase a Crooked Shadow served as inspiration for multiple Indian films. These include the Bengali film Sesh Anka (1963) and its Tamil version Puthiya Paravai (1964), the Hindi movie Dhuan (1981) along with its Telugu remake Mayadari Maridi (1985), and the Malayalam titles Rahasyam, Ithile Vannavar, and Charithram (1989). The 1989 Hindi film Khoj also drew from it, later adapted into Telugu as Police Report (1989) and Kannada as Agni Sakshi (1996). The twist ending of the original was additionally referenced in the Kannada film Yarivanu (1984).

Other adaptations

The movie inspired Robert Thomas’s French play Piège pour un homme seul, which subsequently led to television adaptations such as Honeymoon with a Stranger (1969), One of My Wives Is Missing (1976), and Vanishing Act (1986). A Russian cinematic version sharing the original title was released in 1990. The Malaysian production Misteri Dilaila (2019) loosely draws on these narratives.

Alfred Shaughnessy adapted the story for the stage under the title Double Cut, premiering at the Thorndike Theatre, Leatherhead in 1984 with Simon Williams and Lucy Fleming in lead roles. This production was followed by a UK tour featuring David Griffin and Tessa Wyatt.