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PASSPORT TO TREASON is a fun, densely-plotted little British thriller which heavily emulates the American detective noir films of the 1940s; imported Canadian lead Rod Cameron even contributes a voice over narrative in the opening scenes. It's a fairly standard film of its type, but it has a dense little plot and plenty of suspense to see it through, plus a cracking supporting cast.

The tall and pudgy Cameron makes for an imposing presence as the private eye lead; more of a heavy than a hero, he slugs and pushes his way through the villainous members of the plot, who are part of an Italian gang determined to thwart the efforts of a 'peace organisation' of some type. Along the way, he hooks up with a pre-Bond Lois Maxwell, who is at her most beautiful and intelligent in this film.

There are fist-fights a-plenty, alongside character twists and various other scenarios which work out well. Fans of the genre will know exactly what they're in for and they won't be disappointed. The supporting cast includes Clifford Evans (THE 20 QUESTIONS MURDER MYSTERY) as the leader of the slightly bizarre 'peace organisation' and Douglas Wilmer (THE BRIDES OF FU MANCHU) as a doctor. Ballard Berkeley plays one of his stock policeman roles and there's a minor part for popular Canadian TV actor John Colicos (who looks very young) as a thug. PASSPORT TO TREASON certainly isn't a work of high art but it's a lot of fun all the same.

In the 1950s it was quite popular in this country to import fading American stars to give the film a bit of a boost at the box office here and to give the film a chance of being sold to a distributor in America.It has to be said that there seems to be a line of descent for American actors.Starting out as leading men,then gravitating to Westerns and then making the trip over to the UK to give films a boost for reasons stated above.However films like this really did not have much chance in any territory.the problem is that for a film of fairly modest ambitions it is really over plotted.You just tend to loose interest in the whole thing after about 20 minutes.So not really worth bothering with.

Rod Cameron certainly is no Bogart and rather make an impression like Fred MacMurray all miscast and out of place in the fogs of London, where he gets kidnapped and drugged with some bogus truth serum while he nevertheless only can produce mumbles, that will not satisfy the hoodlum gang he has run into, which proves to be some international fascist league working under cover of some impeccable peace organization - there will be no peace here, only hard knuckles, murders and gunfire. The film is saved by Lois Maxwell who works on both sides, employed as a secretary by the organization and supplying the police with information. The Italians are interesting here, caught in the spiral of organized crime and trying desperately to get away, one after the other getting caught in the slaughter. It's a bleak copy of more organized noir films, there is not even much cinematography here except for the fog, and Rod Cameron will make you yawn when he doesn't use his knuckles. The story is weak routine stuff, you have seen it all before, while only Lois Maxwell is interesting.

Blimey how boring can a film get. One of the most wooden leading men in anything I can remember. And despite several other reviewers say so, a Canadian not an American I understand. Why was it thought such a good idea to import these awful overseas actors when any number of Brits could have played them so much better.

The story veered all over the place, and what might read well in a book, certainly didn't work as a film. And what exactly was the great threat to this country, the world, or wherever it was meant to be. I'm struggling to find enough required words to get this approved, never mind to offer further comment.

Lois Maxwell was still working in the field in Berman & Baker's final Cold War quickie for Tempean; the Moneypenny role taken on by Marianne Stone (just before her nose job) in a more substantial and good-humoured role than she usually got to play.