''Shadow of a Man'' is a 1955 British second feature ('B')

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 ...

directed by Michael McCarthy and starring Paul Carpenter,

Rona Anderson Rona Anderson (3 August 1926 – 23 July 2013) was a Scottish stage, film, and television actress. She appeared in TV series and on the stage and films throughout the 1950s. She appeared in the films ''Scrooge (1951 film), Scrooge'' and ''The Pr ...

and Jane Griffiths. It was written by Paul Erickson based on his play ''Shadow of a Man''.

Premise

After a brawl in a nightclub a man is found dead at his home the following morning. It soon becomes apparent that he has been murdered, and the list of suspects seems quite small. Was it his badly treated wife, who found his dead body? Or was it the young woman with whom he'd had an affair – one of many – and who had been unaware that he was married? Or the friend of the couple who seems to be attracted to the young widow? Or is it possible that someone somehow gained to the flat entirely unseen? An old friend of the husband turns up unexpectedly a few days later. At first defensive of his old buddy, he is shocked to discover that he was universally disliked due to his abusive and aggressive behaviour, made worse by his heavy drinking and drug taking. Still, he decides to try to find out who the killer is, a search culminating in a fight on the pier, and, it seems, another death.

Cast

* Paul Carpenter as Gene Landers *

as Linda Bryant * Jane Griffiths as Carol Seaton * Tony Quinn as Inspector Gates *

Ronald Leigh-Hunt Ronald Frederick Leigh-Hunt (5 October 1920 – 12 September 2005) was a British film and television actor. His father was a stockbroker and he attended the Italia Conti Academy. He began acting whilst serving in the army. Though never a majo ...

as Norman Farrel * Bill Nagy as Paul Bryant * Jack Taylor as Sergeant McBride * Robert O'Neil as Max * Diana Chesney as Mrs Carter *

Rose Alba Rose Alba (born Felicity Mary Devereux; 5 February 19182 December 2005) was an Egyptian-born British film actress. She also acted in TV series, such as ''The Persuaders! ''The Persuaders!'' is a British action comedy television series st ...

as cabaret singer

Reception

The 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 ...

'' wrote: "Quite a pleasant little thriller, freshly directed, mainly told within the framework by one of the protagonists, and with some competent camerawork. Paul Carpenter is efficient and the rest of the cast adequate, although Ronald Leigh Hunt gives an over-melodramatic performance. The film is aided by some good location shooting amongst the holiday crowds at Hastings." ''

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: "The picture is not staged on an elaborate scale and it has a few loose ends but the penultimate action, reinforced by compelling sentiment, is crisp."

References

External links

* {{Michael McCarthy 1955 films 1955 crime films Films directed by Michael McCarthy British crime films 1950s English-language films 1950s British films British black-and-white films English-language crime films