Colonel March Investigates

Colonel March Investigates is a 1953 British film consisting of the three pilot episodes of the TV series Colonel March of Scotland Yard that were filmed in 1952, starring Boris Karloff. These episodes were "Hot Money", "Death in the Dressing Room" and "The New Invisible Man". Boris Karloff and his wife Evelyn sailed to England in July, 1952, where Karloff filmed three different pilot episodes of the Colonel March series to show to British TV executives. In 1953, when the show was green lighted, Karloff returned to England to film 23 more episodes, making a total of 26 in all, then returned to Hollywood to film Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1953). The three pilots were later compiled into the 1953 feature film called Colonel March Investigates (aka Colonel March of Scotland Yard), so that they could be shown theatrically. Karloff filmed pieces of onscreen introduction narration to help stitch the three stories together and these shots are exclusive to this compilation film. The Colonel March TV series premiered on ITV London on 24 September 1955. After the second ITV region (Midlands) was launched in February 1956, Associated began a run of Colonel March on Wednesday, 22 February, beginning at 10pm. The rest of Britain only saw it when it premiered on the BBC in September, 1956.. The series was also shown in the United States in February 1956, five months after the British premier. (It was broadcast from February 1, 1956 through April 1, 1957, which included a number of re-run episodes.)