Dancing with Crime

Brisk, efficient British post-War crime melodrama set in London - part of the 'Spiv' movie cycle(films with roots in 30s American Gangster movies, featuring characters profiting from wartime rationing in a similar fashion to 30s bootleggers, but not so clearly glamorised as their Stateside equivalents - see also the superior NOOSE). Richard Attenborough stars as former soldier, Ted Peters, now making a living as a London cab-driver who becomes involved with a criminal gang headed by dance hall owner and criminal mastermind Mr Gregory (the seriously undervalued Barry Jones), whose henchman and M.C. Paul Baker (Barry K. Barnes) has offed Ted's childhood friend and former army buddy Dave Robinson (Bill Rowbotham, better known to U.K. audiences as Bill Owen, star of long-running U.K. T.V comedy series LAST OF THE SUMMER WINE). At Ted's behest, his girlfriend Joy (Sheila Sim) gets a job as a dancehall hostess in Gregory's dance hall as part of Ted's attempts to expose the criminal gang and the true nature of the crime lord's enterprise is gradually exposed. Punchily directed by John Paddy Carstairs, and redolent with post-War atmosphere, this is another example of the type of popular genre fare which entertained U.K. audiences in the 40s at the same time as the now revered 'noir' movies similarly engaged their U.S. contemporaries. Deserving wider acclaim, the movies from this post-War U.K. genre are valid, and diverting, social documents which often gave early exposure to burgeoning talents (in this instance, an uncredited brunette Diana Dors and a 'blink and you'll miss him' Dirk Bogarde) and should, by rights, be as revered in their country of origin as the more celebrated and documented U.S. post-War crime movies. Worth checking out, if you get the chance.

Worth it for the post-war background. The 50s "New Look" hadn't happened yet and all the girls have big hair and big shoulders - much more flattering than the 50s fashions that made everyone look middle-aged.

Richard Attenborough and Sheila Sim are likeable. They get involved in investigating the murder of their friend, a young, dashing Bill Owen.

It's a shame Diana Dors wasn't credited. She was good in her early roles - she turns up in another dance hall with Petula Clark and Bonar Colleano. I think she was dubbed in both films, though.

To the gentleman who thought it terribly rude that some other bloke could just grab your partner - it was called an "excuse me" dance. There was also a "ladies excuse me". This is not a regular Palais de Dance, however - the girls are all professional hostesses.

(1947) Dancing with Crime SUSPENSE THRILLER

It has young couple of cabbie, Ted Peters (Richard Attenborough) and his fiance, Joy Goodall (Sheila Sim) meeting an old school chum Dave Robinson (Bill Rowbotham) for a drink. Dave then offers Ted another means of making more dough than his life as a cabbie. And then one day, upon dropping his friend off at a club, Ted then decides to pick up a few things for his girlfriend Joy. Meanwhile, Dave is having some money disputes with the owner of the nightclub, Mr. Gregory (Barry Jones) who was attempting to low ball his cut. And as a result of running away, Mr Gregory's right hand man, Paul Baker (Barry K. Barnes) attempts to shoot and kill him with a pistol, and he manages to escape back into back seat of Ted's cab. Except that Dave was already been shot, attempting to run away, and upon Ted picking up his girlfriend, Dave fell out pronounced dead. Inspector Carter (John Warwick) is assigned to the case along with his assistant, Det Sgt Murray (Garry Marsh). Ted of course, goes on the prowl to catch his friend's killer, along with the help of his girlfriend Joy posing as a dance hostess for the nightclub to find out what she can.

Depicts a time when there was such thing as 'dancing hostesses' where young girls are employed to dance with random strangers in nightclubs. Something I had no idea that used to be a thing back then, which must have been something that happened during WWII, as this movie was made back in 1947, and that the war ended back in 1945.

Ted (Richard Attenborough) and Joy grew up with Dave and have remained friends with him....not close friends, but friends. Dave invites them to come to his club and later asks Ted to work with him. Ted assumes Dave is involved in some shady work and politely declines. A short time after this, one of Ted's 'associates' leaves him for dead in the back of Dave's taxi! Now the police do not suspect Ted...but the mobsters who killed Dave think perhaps Dave might have said SOMETHING to Ted before he died. So, they are now looking for Ted...and Ted is trying to find them because the police can't always be there.

This is a GENERALLY good movie, though one part irritated me because it didn't seem realistic and defied common sense. In this scene, two goons are going to kill Ted...and at gunpoint they tell Ted this. Ted is a scrappy guy and manages to beat up BOTH the thugs. BUT, and this annoyed me, he didn't pick up the gun, he didn't tie up the thugs (or shoot their kneecaps to keep them from running away) and proceeds to the police station. Why not call the police and have them meet him at this hideout? Why not give the police the attempted murderers?! If someone was going to murder me and I was able to subdue them, I certainly wouldn't leave to go look for the coppers! It's sad, as otherwise this is a nice little drama. Tense and very interesting to see a nice 'every man' pulled into this messy business. But I must deduct at least a point because of this one sloppily handled scene.

Not much mystery here as the crime and perpetrator is known from the start so more of a how-will-they-catch-him than a who-dunnit. Still, there is charm in the setting: a dancehall where girls work to dance with patrons serves as a cover for the HQ of the local kingpin: an aristocratic yet particularly wily chap, who seems to smuggle gin and trade in 'surplus' goods, among other things. Innocents get swept up in the milieu and, though painted as too goody-goody, have a close brush with both the criminal and police world which toughens them up a bit. Barry K. Barnes plays the kingpin's chief henchman and delivers a subtle psychopathic gentleman killer vibe. There is some nice framing here and there, plus you get 1947 London, and its various pubs and characters , which helps sustain the film through its lulls (here and there), and the ending has its own minor twists. Other little highlights are scenes with Richard Attenborough and Diana Dors. I can't say it held my full attention 100% throughout but I am not regretful about having seen it - just 83 mins long! It's an alright movie if you are looking for a quite gentle noir in an unusual setting and a little but not too much excitement.