Inquest (1939)

Although short in duration this is distinctly a cut above a "quota quicky" in quality. Hay Petrie, who seems to have later been consigned to many small but distinctive supporting roles, here is centre stage in the court-room scene, gives a very spirited and dominating performance and makes the most of, for once for him, a very good role. Opposite him is a worthy foil both in terms of script and actor in the shape of (and here is a very rare thing) a comic Coroner with only too obvious human failings. The quotations in the opening credits questioning the purpose of a Coroner suggest that someone might have been grinding an axe in this intelligent and entertaining legal/crime-comedy.