barkiswilling

Above average (just) minor thriller with Dermot Walsh in a slightly atypical role as a mild-mannered accountant who's initial intent is to audit the books of a company that turns out to be mixed up with all sorts of hokey pokey. This leads to our villain, played by Alexander Gauge, in full Sydney Greenstreet mode ("upon my soul sir, you are the most impatient man...." etc etc; That nice Bill Travers, of all people, crops up as a heavy and Hazel Court (Mrs Walsh at this time), is generally underused for much of the film.

A reasonable way to pass 68 minutes and probably not very memorable but at least no American "B" star shoehorned into the cast in an attempt to raise its transatlantic appeal.

A young couple arrive at their dream weekend away house only to find they're in the middle of a case of handbags at ten paces between two rival gangs. As a plot, it could have worked so much better if the script, direction, editing, incidental music etc etc were handled with more care and attention, but after all this is a quickie churned out from Twickenham studios, with the urbane Laurence Payne, who appears to be the B films answer to James Mason, in the lead role.

As mentioned in previous reviews, Payne's character takes a sudden interest in Jill Adams, all sensible shoes and cardie, while Zena Marshall (soon to set the screen on fire with her turn in 'Dr No'), is relegated to the part of scorned lover.

Part murder mystery, part thriller, part courtroom drama- this odd little film has a well-intentioned foot in each of these camps without nailing any particular genre. The unimaginative title doesn't help. That said, it's an enjoyable curiosity shown from time to time on TPTV, and John Justin scrubs up very nicely as our clean-cut English hero among a collection of French and Brit character actors; one of our favourite B-film cockneys of the time, Sydney Tafler, plays an Italian-sounding character who's witness statement is critical to the narrative- delivered in a peculiarly unconvincing French accent. As always, interesting to see who else crops up- the great Donald Wolfit as the judge, and Russell Napier (who is nearly always playing a police inspector), playing - er - a police inspector.