Ricatto

I expected this movie to be oldfashioned in acting style with an easy plot. Instead it surprised me with a fairly complex plot and some actions by the characters I did not foresee. Most important, I thought the acting style of Homulka was extremely "real," and he did not sound like he was speaking lines. Take yourself back to the 30s --which is what it looked like, even if it is 1947, and enjoy.

Oscar Homolka is the owner of "The Shop at Sly Corner" in this film that also stars Kenneth Kent, Kenneth Griffin, and Jean Colin.

Homolka is an antiques dealer who, embittered of the world since being tortured on Devil's Island, receives stolen goods.

He is, however, devoted to his daughter (Colin) a promising violinist. And may I add that the violin playing in this film was exquisite.

Homolka has a deceitful assistant, Archie Fellows (Griffin). He overhears Homolka talking about his past, which his daughter doesn't know.

Fellows blackmails Homolka until the situation has become untenable and getting worse.

Homolka has proposition for him, if Fellows will take it.

Very good and engaging film with Homolka sympathetic and Griffin mean as dirt. Good noir.

Oskar Homolka (Mr Heiss) owns an antique shop and is very proud of his violin-playing daughter Muriel Pavlow (Margaret) who is just breaking into the big time. Kenneth Griffith (Archie) is a slimy weasel who works in the shop and is attracted to Muriel. God knows why. She has a boyfriend in the Navy - Derek Farr (Robert) - and they are the rather bland goody-two-shoes couple. It is the other actors who give this film colour and the desire to see things through to the end. Griffith has a weasely plan to get one over Homolka.

One strange thing about the film was making Homolka a French citizen. No, he's not. What's the point in trying to pull that one off? Anyway, I'm not surprised at what he's up to with his antiques and when you have a character like the slimy Griffith as an assistant, then you are asking for trouble. Diana Dors (Mildred) has a memorable small role as a cheap girlfriend for Griffith. As does Katie Johnson as a customer in the shop - you'll recognize her from her pivotal role in "The Ladykillers" (1955).

Oscar Homolka is super in this crafty little crime noir. He portrays a reputable antiques dealer whose daughter "Margaret" (Muriel Pavlow) is a virtuoso violinist. Unbeknown to all, though, he also has another business fencing stolen jewellery with his friend Derek Farr. When his odious clark "Morris" (Manning Whiley) overhears one of their conversations and tries his hand at a little blackmail, things start to spiral out of control as he threatens to tell the young woman of her father's behind-the-scenes shenanigans. When he demands that he be allowed to marry her - well you can guess! George King keeps the pace of this moving along well, with Whiley really good as the scheming underling whose looming comeuppance is surely just a matter of time. The score - especially the Mendelssohn Violin concerto at the end, adds loads to the atmosphere of this superior thriller that has plenty to shout about. Rarely seen these days, but if you do come across it - give it a watch, it's a more substantial part for the star that is well worth a watch.

This was best known as Diana Dors' first movie. Though she is not in the credits, crowds of her admirers turned out to see it. The plot twists and turns were so surprising, never quite what I guessed might have happened. Holmolka's performance is very realistic rather than a costumed caricature. Dors steals the show with her nasty wiggle walk through about four scenes and less than 10 minutes of film.