Can anyone identify this British(?) Thriller

I once saw a movie, I’d like it identified, please.

The plot takes place entirely within a police station. A murder has occurred, a young woman has been found dead. A police detective interviews a suspect, a known petty criminal. He tries to trick the suspect into making a confession.

At the end a more senior policeman releases the suspect, then tells the detective that there was a witness who has seen him (the detective) committing the murder.

I think there was only the three characters in the whole movie.

I think it was British, Black & White, probably somewhere around 1950-60.

I don’t think the suspect was Bernard Cribbens, but it was someone of a similar type.

Any ideas?

I immediately thought of Under Suspicion, but there are several things that don’t line up. It’s a much later movie (made in 2000), it’s not black & white, and the suspect isn’t a petty criminal, but a well known rich guy in the town.

However, this seems to be a remake of Garde a Vue, or maybe a “homage” to A Pure Formality, both slightly older foreign films (French & Italian, repectively).

Maybe there is an even older version?

No, it’s none of those, but thanks for trying.

If it’s possible you screwed up some of your facts (like if it was in color and set in a house and with Caine/Olivier) I would say it was Sleuth.

Was A Pure Formailty a remake? Becasue that its exact plot.

No, I’m very familiar with Sleuth, and its not it.

I may be mistaken about B&W, or British. But I am sure that most of the action consists of a discussion between policeman and suspect.

It sounds similar to The Interview, though this was a color Australian film from 1998. Wonderful film with an incredible performance from Hugo Weaving as the suspect.

The oldest version appears to be Garde a Vue (1981). Since it is a very dark movie, one could remember it as b&w, but the persons killed are two young girls, not a young woman.

Both Garde a Vue and Under Suspicion are based on the same John Wainright novel.