| Five Have a Mystery to Solve | |
| Director: | Ernest Morris |
| Cinematography: | Douglas Ransom |
| Music: | Edward Williams |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
Five Have a Mystery to Solve is a 6-part 1964 British film serial directed by Ernest Morris and starring David Palmer and Darryl Read. It was written by Michael Barnes, based on the novel of the same name by Enid Blyton, and made by the Children's Film Foundation.[1] [2] [3]
The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "Perhaps because the Enid Blyton story provides a poor basis for the matter-of-fact realism which one happily associates with Children's Film Foundation productions, this serial is certainly not fare for adults. It has, in fact, that moralising – maybe even patronising – tone so easily acquired and so much to be avoided in anything made specifically for the young. Moreover, to the adult, and that probably means to many children as well, it is far too crammed with implausibilities (e.g children burrowing through the earth like badgers) to work well as a thriller. One finds it hard enough to believe in the extent to which the juvenile characters are allowed to operate without adult intervention. Neatly made and nicely acted, this is a serial likely to appeal because it fills a familiar niche in the programme rather than for any intrinsic merit."[4]
DVD Beaver called it "tremendously entertaining."[2]