Expert: 7devonapes - 1/7/2010

Question
I'm trying to find out the name of an obscure black and white horror film I saw on television some time in 70's.  I'm guessing the film is from 1940's (but I could be wrong) and is based around a painting of a house in an art gallery or museum. A strange man (perhaps the gallery curator) beckons a visitor (a man I think) to look closer at the picture.  The camera goes closer and closer to the picture until we "enter" the painting and arrive at the house itself. I seem to remember the house was populated by a number of quite deranged people who taunt and terrorise the visitor.  The film culminates in the visitor being killed (I think) so that the inhabitants of the house can steal his cigarette lighter to light a candle for one of the windows.  We return to the gallery/museum and the strange man is viewing the painting when a light goes on (the lit candle) in one of the windows. The whole point of this has been for the composition of the painting to be improved by the addition of the lit candle.  But the man is not satisfied, the composition is now unbalanced. He now requires something to balance it out.  I believe he suggests a statue should be added and then turns to a woman who is in the gallery/museum and invites her to "look closer into the picture".  I'm not sure whether the film ends at this point (implying the fate of the woman drawn into the painting) or whether there is a second story to the film.
As you can see I remember parts of this film pretty vividly (even though it is perhaps 20-25 years since I have seen it.  However I cannot seem to find any reference to this film on the internet.
I would appreciate any help you can give.
Thanks

Answer
Hi Geraint,

The movie you are looking for is in fact a 1955 horror anthology film called "Three Cases of Murder" starring Orson Welles, among others. The segment with the painting / candle, etc. is called "In the Picture". Here is a plot summary from imdb.com:

"Three stories of murder and the supernatural. In the first, a museum worker is introduced to a world behind the pictures he sees every day. Second, when two lifelong friends fall in love with the same woman and she is killed, they are obvious suspects. Is their friendship strong enough for them to alibi each other? Third, when a young politician is terribly hurt by the arrogant Secretary for Foreign Affairs Lord Mountdrago, he uses Mountdrago's dreams to get revenge."

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047579/


The only clip online I could find from the film is the following:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EQrErInD1I


Though, there is this (watch for free?:

http://www.thefilmwall.com/three-cases-of-murder-1955/


For DVD copies I'd suggest trying either eBay or iOffer. Or, this Amazon.com link (for VHS):

http://www.amazon.com/Three-Cases-Murder-Orson-Welles/dp/6303473288


Best of luck!
Ryan