The Girl in the Picture

As a result of the new satellite channels we are now able to view many British crime thrillers of the 40s and 50s which we all thought were consigned to the vaults for all time.So here we are afresh.The police speeding round in their Morris police cars with bells clanging:policemen disappearing into their Tardis like police box,conveniently letting the stakeout out of sight;and of course the intrepid crime reporter who is always one step ahead of the police.It is little wonder that the police ever solved any crimes unless the villain was handed to them on a plate.Incidentally as the credits are going through we see

an ABC cinema showing "Tarantula".I bet that it was a better film than this.Anyway the absurdities of the plot are entertaining enough.

Interesting not only for the shots of late fifties Hammersmith (News Of The World - Players' Weights) but also for the following;- 1) Paddy Joyce (as garage-owner Jack Bates - nice Dublin accent, by the way), was actually the nephew of James Joyce!

2) Tom Chatto (George Keefe, the murdered cop's brother) was the father-in-law of Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones - the niece of the Queen!

(He's also a descendant of the Chatto of publishers Chatto & Windus fame).

Nice to imagine the two actors attempting to out-relly each other during a break in filming. (For my money, Paddy's got the top trump!)

A quota-quickie from the 50s with intriguingly unexpected connections.

Feel free to amaze your friends with that one...

The usual nonsense with it's tongue in it's cheek about an eager young reporter hot on the trail of the big story directed by the up-and-coming Don Chaffey on half a shoestring with a thundering musical score on the soundtrack. The tinny studio scenes are compensated for by the occasionally vivid photography and vintage location work preserving for posterity a Hammersmith of trolly buses and bobbies on the beat.

In the title role Junia Crawford was plainly chosen for her striking looks rather than her acting ability, Patrick Holt plays a dapper detective with a carnation in his buttonhole, Maurice Kaufman is a very saturnine villain and a young James Booth appears uncredited as Donald Houston's nerdy press room assistant.

A 4 year-old photograph published in the London Evening Echo provides a clue to an unsolved murder - intrepid reporter Deering (Donald Houston) and Inspector Bliss (Partick Holt) are soon hot on the trail of the 'Girl in the Picture'! Surprisingly good little mystery from the days when you got your money's worth at the pictures (supporting features, etc.!).

Check out the bespectacled office boy, Wilfred - he's credited as David Greeves, but is better known as James Booth, probably world famous for his excellent portrayal of Henry Hook in 'Zulu'.

Sadly, James Booth passed away in August 2005.

I am sure it was a B film when it came out and therefor lacking in finance. However the plot was OK and the pace of the film kept one interested till the end. Always nice to see London in the past.