''The Man Who Was Nobody'' is a 1960

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

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 ...

film directed by

Montgomery Tully Montgomery Tully (6 May 190410 October 1988) was an Irish film Film director, director and writer. Film career Born in Dublin, Tully studied at the University of London, and originally entered the film industry as a director of documentaries. ...

and starring

Hazel Court Margery Hazel Court (10 February 1926 – 15 April 2008) was an English actress. She is known for her roles in British and American horror films during the 1950s and early 1960s, including Terence Fisher's ''The Curse of Frankenstein'' (19 ...

, John Crawford and

Lisa Daniely Lisa Daniely (born Mary Elizabeth Bodington; 4 June 1929 – 24 January 2014) was a British film and television actress. Life and career Born in Reading, Berkshire, to an English solicitor father and a French mother, she was educated in Paris ...

. The screenplay was by James Eastwood, based on the 1927

Edgar Wallace Richard Horatio Edgar Wallace (1 April 1875 – 10 February 1932) was a British writer of crime and adventure fiction. Born into poverty as an illegitimate London child, Wallace left school at the age of 12. He joined the army at age 21 and was ...

novel of the same name. It is part of the series of

Edgar Wallace Mysteries The ''Edgar Wallace Mysteries'' is a British second-feature film series mainly produced at Merton Park Studios for Anglo-Amalgamated. There were 48 films in the series, which were released between 1960 and 1965. The series was screened as ''Th ...

films made at

Merton Park Studios Merton Park Studios, opened in 1929, was a British film production studio located at Long Lodge, 269 Kingston Road in Merton Park, South London. In the 1940s, it was owned by Piprodia Entertainment, Nikhanj Films and Film Producers Guild. Peter M ...

from 1960 to 1965.

Plot

Man-about-town James Tynewood pays for an expensive diamond. His cheque bounces and he disappears. His solicitor employs private eye Marjorie Stedman to find him. When Tynewood is found dead on the River Thames shore, the mysterious "South Africa Smith" appears and offers to help Stedman find the killer.

Cast

as Marjorie Stedman * John Crawford as South Africa Smith *

as Alma Weston * William Abney as James Tynewood *

Paul Eddington Paul Clark Eddington (18 June 1927 – 4 November 1995) was an English actor who played Jerry Leadbetter in the television sitcom '' The Good Life'' (1975–1978) and politician Jim Hacker in the sitcom '' Yes Minister'' (1980–1984) and its ...

as Franz Reuter *

Robert Dorning Robert Dorning (13 May 1913 – 21 February 1989) was an English musician, dance band vocalist, ballet dancer and actor. He is known to have performed in at least 77 television and film productions between 1940 and 1988. Origins Robert Dorning ...

as Vance *

Kevin Stoney Kevin Stoney (22 January 1921 – 22 January 2008) was a British actor. He was best known for his television roles, in which he became familiar for his "portrayal of establishment types". During the Second World War, Stoney served with the Roy ...

as Joe * Jack Watson as police Inspector *

Vanda Godsell Nancy Evelyn Orchard (Birth name, née Godsell, formally Selway; 17 November 1922 – ), known professionally as Vanda Godsell, was an English actress. With a career that spanned 46 years, she was best known for her role as Katie Heenan in the B ...

as Mrs. Ferber *Richard Bennett as Bobby *Cecil Brock as salesman *Deirdre Day as model agency secretary *

Arnold Diamond Arnold Diamond (18 April 1915 – 18 March 1992) was an English character actor, regularly cast in small parts on television such as in '' The Avengers'' 1967 episode entitled ''Who's Who'' when he played Krelmar. He graduated from RADA in 19 ...

as Eddie *

André Mikhelson André Mikhelson was a Russian actor, in mostly British films. He was born in Moscow, in 1903. Selected filmography * ''The Gambler and the Lady'' (1952) - El Greco (uncredited) * ''Desperate Moment'' (1953) - Polizei Inspector * ''Star of My N ...

as croupier

Critical 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: "Freely, and foggily, adapted version of an Edgar Wallace novel, featuring a private "eye" heroine in Hazel Court who waves her good breeding about like an enormous flag. The director's idea of high-life and low-life in Chelsea suggests that he has himself led a very sheltered existence."

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Man Who Was Nobody 1960 films British black-and-white films 1960s English-language films 1960s British films Merton Park Studios films Films directed by Montgomery Tully Films based on British novels Edgar Wallace Mysteries