Guilty? (also released as By Whose Hand and Je plaide non coupable) is a 1956 British mystery‑drama film directed by Edmond T. Gréville. The screenplay, written by Maurice J. Wilson, is adapted from Michael Gilbert’s 1951 novel Death Has Deep Roots. The picture was produced by Gibraltar Films and distributed in the United Kingdom in 1956.
Plot
The narrative follows a Frenchwoman who is charged in an English court with the murder of her child’s father. Rejecting her defence counsel, she is aided by a solicitor‑detective, Nap Rumbold, who travels to France to investigate the wartime resistance activities of the accused and to uncover evidence that may exonerate her.
Cast
- John Justin as Nap Rumbold, solicitor and amateur detective
- Barbara Laage as the accused Frenchwoman
- Donald Wolfit as the defence lawyer
- Norman Wooland as the prosecuting counsel
- Leslie Perrins – role unspecified
- Hugh Morton – role unspecified
- André Mikhelson – role unspecified
Additional supporting performers include Kynaston Reeves, Betty Stockfeld, and others.
Production
The film was shot on location in England and France, employing a modest budget typical of mid‑century British genre productions. Gréville, a French‑born director who had previously worked in both French and British cinema, brought a noir‑styled visual approach to the material. Maurice J. Wilson’s adaptation condenses the novel’s intricate plot while retaining its themes of wartime loyalty and legal intrigue.
Release and Reception
Guilty? received a limited theatrical release in the United Kingdom in late 1956. Contemporary reviews noted the film’s competent direction and the solid performances of its lead actors, though it did not achieve significant commercial success. Modern assessments are sparse; the film is primarily of interest to scholars of post‑war British cinema and to enthusiasts of Michael Gilbert’s literary works.
Legacy
The film is occasionally cited in retrospectives of Edmond T. Gréville’s career and in discussions of adaptations of Gilbert’s novels. It remains a relatively obscure title within the British mystery‑drama genre of the 1950s.
References: Wikipedia entry for “Guilty? (1956 film)”, Letterboxd synopsis, IMDb cast listings.
