Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

The Third Secret Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman September 1, 2020

Between 1961, when she made a rather auspicious feature film debut as one of the maybe, maybe not disturbed children in The Innocents, and 1969, when as a most definitely disturbed teenager she came close to stealing The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie from its ultimately Academy Award winning star Maggie Smith, Pamela Franklin was arguably one of the more formidable younger actresses working in the film industry. More or less halfway through the decade of the sixties, Franklin had another showcase role in The Third Secret, a kind of potboiler featuring Stephen Boyd as Alex Stedman, an American journalist working in British television as a commentator. Stedman also suffers from psychological issues which have led him to the care of a famous analyst named Leo Whitset (Alan Copley), who as the film opens is found mortally wounded from a gunshot to the head, an injury which leads to his death which in turn is deemed a suicide. Whitset’s daughter Catherine (Pamela Franklin) is convinced her father was in fact murdered by one of his patients, and she enlists the aid of Stedman to figure out what happened. The film’s marketing tagline suggested that the addled Stedman might actually be searching for himself, so to speak, in that he might have been the one to have pulled the trigger, but is instead so dissociative that he doesn’t realize it. Suffice it to say, there is a dissociative character involved (more than one, arguably), but as another kind of analyst, the critic Neal Sinyard, avers in his comments on the film included on this disc as a supplement, there are so many dangling plot threads in this screenplay that even the proffered “answers” may only end up engendering more questions.

There's an undeniably compelling premise at the heart of The Third Secret, with a whodunit combined with psychological issues that is probably unavoidably reminiscent of such films as Hitchcock's Spellbound. And indeed, this film, much like the Gregory Peck - Ingrid Bergman opus, features a Freudian dream that offers "clues" as to what's actually going on (albeit in this case without the benefit of a design by Salvador Dali). But Spellbound had a tight and (mostly) logical screenplay from the redoubtable team of Ben Hecht and Agnus MacPhail, whereas The Third Secret's scenario by Robert L. Joseph is considerably less convincing and cohesive on any number of levels.

There are basically a handful of former patients of Dr. Whitset who may or may not be suspects. These include a fussy art dealer named Alfred Price- Gorham (Richard Attenborough sporting a really bizarre looking bald cap), a judge named Sir Frederick Belline (Jack Hawkins, memorably previously paired with Stephen Boyd in Ben-Hur), and a distraught secretary named Anne Tanner (Diane Cilento). The subtext here is that the at least somewhat disturbed Stedman may in fact be a fourth "secret" (so to speak), unaware that he may have committed the murder he's investigating. All of that said, as Sinyard gets into in his comments on the film, the fact that there was an actual fourth patient played by Patricia Neal whose scenes were evidently excised may give credence to Sinyard's thesis that the stories of the suspects are so haphazardly woven into the film that it almost doesn't matter if there are three, four, or a gazillion.

Since none of the suspects' stories is very well developed (and Sinyard more or less alleges they're completely undeveloped), that means the bulk of the interest here actually turns out be more focused on the developing relationship between Stedman and Catherine. And perhaps surprisingly, at least given some of the deficits in how other characters are presented, there's some really rather good material here that allows both Boyd (who can often come off as fairly stiff in many of his performances) and especially Franklin to really shine. The film was directed by the venerable Charles Crichton, who of course helped establish the "Ealing brand" and famously had a late career triumph with A Fish Called Wanda. He offers an almost dystopian version of London in this film, one filled with scenes of the muddy banks of the Thames that almost look like something out of a post-Apocalyptic offering at times. That gives The Third Secret a really moody ambience that the actual screenplay aims for, but is never quite able to consistently achieve.

The Third Secret Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Third Secret is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Powerhouse Films' Indicator imprint with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.35:1. Some of the supplements included on this release suggest this was one of the last, and perhaps the very last, black and white films shot in CinemaScope. Lensed by the great Douglas Slocombe, The Third Secret looks great by and large in this presentation. Contrast is solid, and black levels appropriately deep, and while the grain was just a bit heavier than I personally was expecting for a large format offering, it resolves nicely throughout. Detail levels are commendable, with some of the fine patterns on some of the mid-century fabrics looking precise and almost palpable at times. There are some very minor signs of age related wear and tear, and some of the opticals can look a bit rough at times.

The Third Secret Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Third Secret features a nice sounding LPCM Mono track. The film is generally a talk fest, with occasional ambient environmental effects placed in the background of the sound mix when scenes are outdoors (which is actually quite a bit of the time). The plaintive score by Richard Arnell also sounds full bodied throughout.

The Third Secret Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio commentary with film historians Dean Brandum and Eloise Ross


• The BEHP Interview with Charles Crichton (1:03:00) is an archival 1988 audio recording, made as part of the British Entertainment History Project, moderated by Sidney Cole. This plays as an alternate audio track under the film.


• The BEHP Interview with Douglas Slocombe – Part One, The Early Years (1:03:00) is another 1988 interview with Sidney Cole that plays as an alternate audio track under the film.


• Crichton on Crichton (1080p; 7:25) is a sweet reminiscent by third assistant director David Crichton, son of Charles Crichton.


• An Unconscionable Thing (1080p; 4:53) is an interview with second assistant director Kits Browning.


• Mr Slocombe's Mattress (1080p; 6:30): is an interview with focus puller Robin Vidgeon, who discusses the work of Douglas Slocombe.


• Lost Souls (1080p; 21:42) is an appreciation of the film by author and film historian Neil Sinyard.


• Isolated Music and Effects Track is presented in LPCM Mono.


• Theatrical trailer (1080p; 2:32)


• Image Gallery (1080p)

While Powerhouse only provided a check disc for purposes of this review, their website states this release comes with what sounds like a very nicely appointed insert booklet.

The Third Secret Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Franklin more or less matriculated to television as the sixties gave way to the seventies (kind of incredibly, she evidently shot a pilot in 1971 in the United States for a proposed spin-off of Green Acres which perhaps fortunately, for her if for no one else, was never picked up for series), but films like The Third Secret prove what a really arresting screen presence she was. It's the performances that really make The Third Secret click, and even when they're portraying ill defined characters, Attenborough, Hawkins and Cilento bring a lot of energy to their roles. Boyd is still on the stiff side, but his interactions with the compelling Franklin have warmth and sincerity. Technical merits are solid and the supplementary package outstanding, for those who are considering a purchase.