Burnt Evidence
1954 film by Daniel Birt
Burnt Evidence is a 1954 British second feature thriller film directed by Daniel Birt and starring Jane Hylton, Duncan Lamont and Donald Gray. The screenplay was by Ted Willis. It was produced by Ronald Kinnoch for ACT Films.
Plot
Diana Taylor is considering leaving her husband, Jack, who has been trying but failing to build his own business as a builder/decorator. Her suitor, Jimmy Thompson, is Jack's army friend. Jack deduces the relationship and, when Jimmy comes to Jack's business to discuss the situation, a fight ensues. A gun is produced and one of them is killed, but a subsequent fire makes it difficult to determine which man has died. While the police search for the survivor, Diana struggles with her feelings.
Cast
Production
Shooting took place at Beaconsfield Studios and on location in Hammersmith. The film's sets were designed by art director Ray Simm.
The public source identifies “Burnt Evidence” as 1954 film by Daniel Birt. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Burnt, Evidence and film.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Burnt Evidence”, the useful work is to connect “1954 film by Daniel Birt” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Object files, edition statements, performance records and contemporary criticism preserve different stages of the work’s history. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jun 29, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q5000192. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1954.
Later fame can flatten the distinction between original context, subsequent adaptation and institutional collecting history. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Separate the work, its editions or performances, and its later reception. Catalogue records, publication histories and object files often preserve different parts of that story.
- Identifying works and editions
- Tracing reception history
- Finding collection records
The original object or edition, catalogue raisonné, performance record, rights file and holding institution.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Burnt Evidence”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Burnt Evidence primary sources, Burnt Evidence archive and Burnt research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Burnt Evidence”?
- Which edition, object, performance or recording is being described?
- How did later circulation or interpretation alter the work’s reception?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Burnt Evidence” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.