L'assassin court toujours

I'm a big fan of John Mills, he's made some masterpieces in his time. Sadly, "Mr. Denning Drives North" isn't one of them. The plot can't seem to decide whether to focus on Mills and his mental strain after the tragic events from the film's beginning, or on Sam Wanamaker as the ambitious solicitor who's determined to unravel the truth about John Mills's plight. Frankly, I grew quite irritated with the film. The opening 15 minutes offered a vague hint of something which might have been good. Alas, this was not the case. The conclusion is one of the most ridiculous I've ever seen - and there are plenty to choose from! The supporting cast are wasted. The likes of Raymond Huntley, Wilfred Hyde White and Herbert Lom have little to do. Why couldn't the scriptwriter incorporate their characters into the story properly? John Mills does his best with such bland material and he's the only reason to give this film so much as a side glance.

Perhaps it's in part because the acting is so fine - playing characters we like, yet in a very unsavory situation - this movie stays with me these 20 or so years since I saw it on television.

This is also one of the relatively few movies before the late 1950s that I can recall that really (purport to) go out into the British countryside: The Clouded Yellow is another example - and a similar style of movie to this (and also very good). Aside from these, I can think of only the Scottish scenes in The 39 Steps, I Know Where I'm Going, How Green Was My Valley, The Stars Look Down. (Suddenly in the late 1950s/1960s, British movies exploded out of London and went a-venturing - in such as This Sporting Life, Look Back in Anger, Tunes of Glory, A Kind of Loving, Room at the Top, Billy Liar, Whistle Down the Wind, The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, Becket, The Lion in Winter, Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, Tom Jones, Get Carter, Alfie).

Like The Clouded Yellow, this is the kind of movie patented by Hitchcock - filled with psychological suspense, fast moving plot, attractive actors, physical danger, significant looks, deception.

I've never seen a video or DVD available - but it's definitely worthwhile seeing it if you get the chance (perhaps on television).

This is a well crafted story with many a twist. A lot of b movies were made in this era but would surely have made an excellent main feature with plenty to talk about after. Well worth a watch.

Somewhat under-rated British suspenser.Mills gives his usual excellent performance, and though the scene where he flies the plane doesn't come off, the film has more than enough compensations. Ending is a little hurried, but this a very watchable movie especially for we lovers of the 1950s British suspense genre.

John Mills plays Mr. Denning, who owns Denning Aircraft. Lately he has been distracted, bad tempered, sleepwalking, and drinking more than usual. He finally tells his wife (Phyllis Calvert) why.

When he went to confront his daughter's ne'er do well boyfriend Medos (Herbert Lom), he punches him - the man crashes his head on the fireplace and dies.

Panicked and afraid for repercussions for his daughter, Denning packs Medos' clothes, throws the body in his car, drives to a secluded location, fakes an accident, and hides the body nearby.

Time passes, but nothing is ever reported about the body. Normally, as it would decompose, this would be a good thing.

Alas, not in the obsessive hands of Denning, who manages, by his interference, to get his daughter's new boyfriend (Sam Wanamaker) involved.

One twist after another. If it had been brilliantly directed, it would have been better. As it was, it still was absorbing and entertaining.

At the end of the film, with the daughter talking so fast, I, who worked as a professional transcriber for years, couldn't understand what she said after repeated listenings. Ditto what she said to her father about Medos. Both of which I wanted to know. Maybe someone can enlighten me.