Tales of the Unexpected

The police are dragging the marshes for a missing school-girl and a sinister man is approaching other young girls. Young Sylvia is on a bus on the way home from school when a friendly old man begins to talk to her.

Con artist Merv Pottinger travels the East Anglian countryside, telling unsuspecting elderly people that their valuable art treasure is fairly worthless and that he will do them a favour by taking it off their hands. However, when he meets Hazel, whose son is struggling to keep on their run-down old farm, he thinks that he can get her to part with an Old Master for pea-nuts.

George Stamford has come to avenge himself on Mr. Chillingham and is discovered in the latter's locked office with Chillingham dead of a gun-shot wound. However, there is no gun to be found and no apparent means of disposing of one. Inspector Walters has to work out how it was done and if George really is a man with an iron constitution.

Tired of freezing in their room and living out of tins, enterprising lads Tom and George set up Vengeance Is Mine, Inc. For a small fee they will punch anyone their client feels deserves it. Former actress Mrs. Wilbur wants them to attack snooty critic Lionel Brewster and even gives them disguises and helps them plan it.

Suzy Starr and Pat Lewis are struggling actresses in a provincial touring production of 'The Importance of Being Earnest'. Herbert, a middle-aged widower, who has become rich via manufacturing toys, puts money into the production and falls for Suzy, who snaps up the expensive gifts he gives her. They get married but she is only using him and is having affairs with other men.

Crooked antique expert Cyril Boggis dresses as a vicar and calls on Suffolk farmsteads offering to take old furniture off the occupants' hands for a fee. Of course, he knows when the furniture is valuable and none more so than the dresser he sees at Farmer Rummins' run-down place. So as not to create suspicion he tells Rummins that he is only interested in the legs.

Meek accountant Harold Tinker, despised by his ambitious, younger wife Phyl, meets Jack Cutler, an old school contemporary. Cutler used to call Harold 'Stinker Tinker' and generally made his life a misery. Now, with little recollection of the past, Cutler offers Harold a well-paid job, which he takes, chiefly for Phyl's sake.

Roland Trent is in love with Anna, who is gradually losing her sight but could have an operation to save it. Unfortunately it is not cheap. Roland is married to Vivienne but she is no more in love with him than he is with her. Furthermore she controls the purse-strings and is initially not keen to help the Other Woman, though eventually she agrees to finance the operation.

It is coming up to Christmas and Henry Knox, manager of Peckham's toy factory, is doubly incensed. First, he has heard a rumour that the factory will be subject to a take-over by a foreign firm who will not want to keep him. Then he learns that young Leighton, another employee, is organizing a staff disco the night before the works' Christmas party that Henry has always arranged.