Beyond Reasonable Doubt (1982 film)

Beyond Reasonable Doubt
Beyond Reasonable Doubt
	DVD cover
Directed by	John Laing
Written by	David Yallop
Based on	Beyond Reasonable Doubt; by David Yallop
Produced by	John Barnett
Starring	David Hemmings; John Hargreaves; Tony Barry; Martyn Sanderson
Cinematography	Alun Bollinger
Edited by	Michael Horton
Music by	Dave Fraser
Release date	2 April 1982 (Cognac Film Festival);
Running time	129 minutes
Country	New Zealand
Language	English

Beyond Reasonable Doubt is a 1982 New Zealand docu-drama feature film directed by John Laing and starring David Hemmings, John Hargreaves, Roy Billing, and Terence Cooper.

Plot synopsis[]

Arthur Allan Thomas is falsely convicted for the murder of Harvey and Jeanette Crewe and is later pardoned after 9 years in prison.

Cast[]

David Hemmings as Inspector Bruce Hutton
John Hargreaves as Arthur Allan Thomas
Tony Barry as Detective John Hughes
Martyn Sanderson as Len Demler
Terence Cooper as Paul Temm
Roy Billing as Court Official

Reception[]

The film received mixed reviews which has largely been attributed to its avoidance of genre clichés. The film did receive praise when it screened at the 1981 Chicago Film Festival, with director John Laing recalling that "the audience was passionate". The film also received praise from Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun Times where he described it as a "remarkable film".^{[full citation needed]}

In New Zealand the film was well received with Punch stating that it "inspires respect" and suggesting that the film "stirs [hope] that New Zealand may be about to join the cinema producing countries". Due to the high-profile nature of the case in New Zealand the film was described as a "story that a lot of people in the country wanted to forget about". In spite of this the film was New Zealand's most successful film until the release of Goodbye Pork Pie the following year.^[1]