The ending is softened somewhat from the play, with the film overemphasising the family’s redemption. But getting there is a blast...

At 80 tightly wound minutes, it is a brilliantly constructed piece of work.

The Birling's home... is decorated in High Smug Edwardian, which is not only a perfect evocation of the period, but also an apt visualization of the family's habit of encasing themselves in protective layers of denial.

Not even the adroit Alastair Sim, in a noncomedy role as a mysterious investigator, can overcome the sluggish pace and contrived coincidences of this social-conscience drama...