Matter of Choice, A (1963)

“In life, there are many occasions when a simple decision to turn either to the right or to the left may have disastrous consequences and repercussions affecting many people. You may have to make such a decision tonight. It is on this premise that our story is based.”

Two snobbish and annoying youths – Mike (Malcolm Gerard) and Tony (Michael Davis) – are thrown out of a discotheque – the Hip Bath Club – and are involved in an altercation with a policeman (Ian Curry) while vandalising a sandwich vending machine in the street which swallowed their two bob.

One of the young men pushes the policeman into the street where he’s hit by a car driven by attractive blonde Lisa Grant (Jeanne Moody) who is with her lover, John Crighton (Anthony Steel) after one of their secret liaisons.

The youths run away and are pursued by Crighton until Tony throws a brick at him to stop him. He collapses and the boys drag him into an unlocked garage – which coincidentally (!) is the house owned by Lisa’s rich businessman husband Charles Grant (Ballard Berkeley).

Mike and Tony use the telephone inside the house to call an ambulance, planning to make a run for it afterwards. But things are further complicated when Charles comes home and parks his car in front of the garage door, trapping Mike and Tony in the garage with the unconscious Crighton.

Meanwhile, Lisa lies to the police and her husband, saying she was alone in the car at the time of the accident.

When the ambulance has taken Crighton away (it turns out he’s in a diabetic coma) and the Grants have gone to bed, Mike and Tony attempt to escape through the front door of the house but set off the burglar alarm.

Charles apprehends them and the police arrive and the two lads have no option but to come clean and relate the entire story of the evening’s events.

Fortunately, the PC was not seriously hurt but, at the police station, Charles asks the boys a question; “This man you say you saw get out of the car – is there any possibility that, in fact, he did not get out of the car but he came from behind it?”.

The lads agree they are not sure and agree that it is possible. Obviously, Lisa is relieved as her involvement with Crighton looks set to remain secret.

But a telephone call comes from the hospital advising that John Crighton has died because he did not receive an insulin injection in time.

At that same moment, a police officer enters with a man’s overcoat saying it was found in Lisa’s car and giving it to Mr Grant, assuming it to be his.

Not recognising it, he checks the pockets and discovers an insulin kit. The game is up and Lisa watches as her husband drives away without her.

The plot doesn’t get going until around the 35-minute mark and the film only enjoyed a brief showing in a handful of cinemas before sinking without trace. It received a DVD release in 2009.

Lisa Grant
Jeanne Moody
Charles Grant
Ballard Berkeley
Mike
Malcolm Gerard
Tony
Michael Davis
John Crighton
Anthony Steel
Jackie
Penny Morrell
Jane
Lisa Peake
Alfred
James Bree
Betty
Barbara Christie
Policeman
Ian Curry
French Waitress
Marie Noël
McIntyre
Jack Stewart
Walter
Richard Bebb
PC Jones
Donald Tandy
Police Doctor
Frank Shelley
Shop Keeper
Garard Green
Spike
George Moon

Director
Vernon Sewell

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