The Solitary Child is a 1958 British murder mystery which begins some time after the murder has taken place.

Captain James Random (Philip Friend) brings his new wife Harriet (Barbara Shelley) back to Random Farm. Captain Random had been accused of murdering his first wife but had been acquitted.

At first Harriet isn’t worried as she was convinced that Random’s first wife’s death was an accident. Soon however she begins to have her doubts.

However doubts have crept into her mind because yhere does seem to be secrets at Random Farm.

Everyone seems to know something about Eva Random’s death and, disturbingly, these include things that had not come to light at all at the trial.

James Random had been, and still is, surrounded by women. ‘

His sister Ann (Sarah Lawson) owns a half share of the farm and has been ages deciding whether or not to marry local vet Cyril (Jack Watling).

There seems no reason for her not to marry him. He’s a thoroughly amiable fellow and she obviously loves him and yet the wedding never seems to happen.

Jean (Rona Anderson) is a Devlin and the Devlins used to own Random Farm. Jean’s mother is not merely an dreadful snob but a malicious gossip.

Then we have Random’s daughter Maggie (Julia Lockwood), a rather troubled and slightly scary teenager.

Eva Random had been carrying on a notorious affair with Jean’s young and very disreputable brother. James Random who would seem to have a motive for murder.

Now it seems that someone wants Harriet out of the way. Quite possibly they want her dead. There are several mysterious accidents and soon rumours are sweeping the village.

Harriet is determined to untangle the mystery of Eva Random’s death since her own life might depend on it.

By now Harriet is getting quite scared and James Random is becoming even more withdrawn and morose than usual.

This is a really good plot with plenty of twists and turns.. The tension builds. Can Harriet stay alive long enough to solve the puzzle?

Director Gerald Thomas was better known for the Carry On comedies but he proves himself to be well able to handle such a drama

All the characters have things to hide but they could have quite legitimate reasons for wanting to keep their secrets. Julia Lockwood does a fine job as Maggie. Maggie is a troubled and disturbing child but she’s in a situation in which a girl might well be troubled.

Barbara Shelley is at her most ravishing and she delivers a very effective performance.

The Solitary Child is a very well-crafted murder mystery with a fine cast.

Barbara Shelley, who died Jan. 4, 2021, at 88 years of age, was one of Hammer Film’s celebrated “Scream Queens.”

She became part of the Hammer’s acting repertoire, adding glamour to the grisly proceedings.

A rising film star throughout the late 1950s and early 60s, in such films as Village of the Damned (1960), Barbara Shelley’s professional world changed forever with the 1964 Hammer film, The Gorgon. Thereafter, throughout the 1960s, she was to be identified with Hammer Horror.

The friendships she made with fellow stars, such as Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, were genuine and enduring.

She was born Barbara Kowin in 1932 in London. Eventually, the family settled in Wealdstone, northwest London. It was to this house throughout most of her adult life.

She would later tell how it was by accident that she ended up appearing in a school play. However, from the moment she stepped on stage she said she knew her life’s calling was no longer in doubt.

Early in the sixties she began a relationship with Jeff Chandler, who she had met on the set of the 1961 film A Story of David, and she later confessed that he had been the love of her life.

Their love affair was short-lived, however, on account of Chandler’s death from a bungled operation deemed medical malpractice that same year. She never married. 

Following the death of her parents, Barbara Shelley lived alone in her childhood home for the last decades of her life. She was a gifted interior decorator. She sewed and painted props for the BBC, and was skilled at making elaborate wedding dresses.

Brought up in a devout Roman Catholic home, during the last years of her life Barbara Shelley returned to her childhood faith. She attended daily Holy Mass at the nearby St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Wealdstone, as well as going on pilgrimage to Lourdes. In her latter days, she could be seen in church often alone praying the Rosary. This deepening of her faith seemed to put all else in perspective — so much so that, by the end, she had to be coaxed to speak of her former glamorous career.

Nevertheless, in the last decade, Barbara Shelley found herself rediscovered on the retro–film-festival circuit, especially among devotees of the horror genre.

ABOVE Barbara Shelley at the London Film Convention

She was surprised and flattered by this, while taking it all in her good-natured stride. Her last appearance on television was in 2010 when she was interviewed for a BBC documentary series on horror films.

In 2009, Barbara Shelley suffered a stroke. From then on, she lived with impaired and decreasing mobility. As a consequence, with deteriorating health. Independent all her life, and determined to retain her family home, she was frustrated at having to rely increasingly on the assistance of others. Nevertheless, her mind and her wit remained as sharp as ever.