second feature
A B movie, or B film, is a type of cheap, low-budget commercial motion picture. Originally, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, this term specifically referred to films meant to be shown as the lesser-known second half of a double feature, s ...
crime film
Crime film is a film belonging to the crime fiction genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and fiction. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine with many other genres, such as Drama (film and television), dr ...
Honor Blackman
Honor Blackman (22 August 1925 – 5 April 2020) was an English actress and singer, known for the roles of Cathy Gale in '' The Avengers''Aaker, Everett (2006). ''Encyclopedia of Early Television Crime Fighters''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . P. ...
Journalist Rex Banner finds his friend Gospel Joe murdered. In the corpse's hand is a newspaper cutting about a jewel robbery. When Banner realises he is being framed for the murder, with the aid of his wife he sets out to find the real murderer and at the same time get a good story. He tracks down the criminals, recovers the stolen jewels, and unmasks Joe's killer.
Honor Blackman
Honor Blackman (22 August 1925 – 5 April 2020) was an English actress and singer, known for the roles of Cathy Gale in '' The Avengers''Aaker, Everett (2006). ''Encyclopedia of Early Television Crime Fighters''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . P. ...
as Maxine Banner
* Gordon Jackson as Florian
* Valerie Vernon as Lola
* Michael Balfour as Sammy
* Peter Neil as Inspector Johnson
*
Peter Swanwick
Walter Peter Swanwick (29 September 1922 – 14 November 1968) was a British actor best remembered as the "Supervisor" (sometimes called the Controller) in the 1967 TV series, ''The Prisoner''.
Swanwick's film career began with bit parts in fi ...
as Meyerling
*
Laurie Main
Laurence George "Laurie" Main (29 November 1922 – 8 February 2012) was an Australian actor best known for hosting and narrating the children's series ''Welcome to Pooh Corner'', which aired on The Disney Channel during the 1980s.
Born i ...
as Summit
* Katie Johnson as Mrs. Bissett
* Mark Daly as Mr. Bissett
* Anna Turner as Mrs Halloran
* Mai Bacon as Fanny
*
Hal Osmond
Hal Osmond (27 May 1903 – December 1959) was a British stage, film and television actor. He played Anselm in ''The Adventures of Robin Hood'' episode "Errand of Mercy" (1956).
Selected filmography
* '' Non-Stop New York'' (1937) - Ship Steward ...
as old man
* Vernon Kelso as Macgregor
* Christie Humphrey as maid
Production
The film was produced at
Walton Studios
Walton Studios, previously named Hepworth Studios and Nettlefold Studios, was a film production studio in Walton-on-Thames in Surrey, England.on location in
West London
West London is the western part of London, England, north of the River Thames, west of the City of London, and extending to the Greater London boundary.
The term is used to differentiate the area from the other parts of London: Central London, N ...
, including
Kensington
Kensington is an area of London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, around west of Central London.
The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up by Kensingt ...
and
West Brompton
West Brompton is an area of west London, England, that straddles the boundary between the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham and Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. The centuries-old boundary traced by Counter's Creek, probably marke ...
. Sets were designed by the
art director
Art director is a title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, live-action and animated film and television, the Internet, and video games.
It is the charge of a sole art director to supe ...
John Stoll
John Stoll (13 December 1913 – 25 June 1990) was a British art director. He won an Academy Award in the category Best Art Direction for the film '' Lawrence of Arabia''. During the 1950s, he worked largely on low-budget British feature f ...
.
Critical reception
''
Monthly Film Bulletin
The ''Monthly Film Bulletin'' was a periodical of the British Film Institute published monthly from February 1934 until April 1991, when it merged with '' Sight & Sound''. It reviewed all films on release in the United Kingdom, including those wi ...
'' said: "A murder comedy-melodrama on familiar lines. The story is seldom very plausible, coincidence reaches out with a long arm, and the developments and the solution have their vague aspects. The film, though, is reasonably bright in tone, and the playing of the principals to some extent makes up in enthusiasm for what it lacks in polish."
''
Kine Weekly
''Kinematograph Weekly'', popularly known as ''Kine Weekly'', was a trade paper catering to the British film industry between 1889 and 1971.
Etymology
The word Kinematograph was derived from the Greek ' Kinumai ', (to move, to be in motion, to ...
'' wrote: "There is slightly more talk than action, but the interplay of sharply etched characters is lively, and what thrills there are are accurately timed. Up-to-scratch dialogue, staging and photography provide the finishing touches. ...The picture, although a modest affair, wants a bit of following but constantly changing backgrounds cunningly stimulate interest. Peter Reynolds gets a break from psychiatric roles and makes the most of his chances as Rex, Honor Blackman displays spirit as Maxine, and Gordon Jackson registers as villain Florian. The support, too, is sound and the same goes for the direction. Despite a few untidy early rounds, or rather reels, the film ends as it should with a knock-out."
''
Picturegoer
''Picturegoer'' was a fan magazine published in the United Kingdom between 1911 and 23 April 1960.
Background
The magazine was started in 1911 under the name ''The Pictures'' and in 1914 it merged with ''Picturegoer''. Following the merge it was ...
'' wrote: "The story is rough-hewn, but there's polish and precision in the action and dialogue. You can get comfortable with the characters – especially with the debonair ease of Peter Reynolds and the cool charm of Honor Blackman, as his puzzled wife. Well-paced thriller."
'' Picture Show'' wrote: "Crisp, neat account of a reporter's efforts fo solve a murder, clear his name and find the proceeds of a jewel robbery. It has witty dialogue and is well acted and directed."
In ''British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959'' David Quinlan rated the film as "average", writing: "Witty comedy-thriller with over-familiar plot but polished performances."
''
Filmink
''FilmInk'' is an Australian film magazine published by FKP International Exports. It was founded by current publisher Dov Kornits and Colin Fraser in July 1997, in Sydney. The magazine has been through many changes over the course of its exist ...
'' called Reynolds, best known for villains, "a boringly ordinary hero" in this film.
''
TV Guide
TV Guide is an American digital media
In mass communication, digital media is any media (communication), communication media that operates in conjunction with various encoded machine-readable data formats. Digital content can be created, vi ...
'' gave the film two out of five stars, noting a "Routine crime drama."