Tread Softly

Odd mix of light, frivolous musical and dark murder mystery. Bentley's new musical needs a theatre so he arranges to hire old lady Nicholson's disused hall. Trouble is, they find a body behind the stage. The cast aren't phased by this and carry on rehearsing their silly songs and dances while the gruff cops investigate. After another murder, things get serious, but not much. A decidedly second-rate movie with a second-league cast of no distinction., only the backstage setting is of interest.

A complete cannibalisation of loads of other stories, but it's still quite a watchable little drama based on the BBC radio serial "The Show Must Go On". An actress (Frances Day) walks out on a production days before curtain up and Patricia Dainton is selected to fill her shoes. Next thing we know, folks start dropping like flies (including Day) and John Bentley and Ronald Leigh-Hunt get their investigating caps on. We soon discover that 40 years ago, there was a murder in the same theatre...might it be a ghost? It is as well it is set in a theatre, as there are at least half a dozen, decently performed full-length theatrical or nightclub numbers.