Recoil

Recoil is one of those British B's I love so much. This one stars Kieron Moore and Elizabeth Sellars.

A woman (Sellars) poses as a crook in order to get evidence against the jewel thief who killed her father.

Pretty good - something about Sellars reminded me of Jackie O, around the eyes.

Good acting, interesting story.

John Gilling wrote and directed this film noir in 1953, 10 years before the excellent "Panic". This story is more conventional, a young woman recognizes her father's killer and she seduces him until she has the opportunity to make him fall. The casting is ok but not fantastic. But there are some good action scenes, from the car chase in the beginning (but we're not yet in 1967-68 when Peter Yates directed "Robbery" and "Bullitt") to tough fights (nearly like in Phil Karlson's films noirs). Worth a look.

No chickie, not even Miss Rogers, moved in heels like a British bird on the case.

It's post-war London and the daughter of a jeweler on house-call is witness to his attack during a robbery, the battery resulting in dad's death, she then determined to identify the killer and bring him to justice. Finding her own lead, she spots the cosh, a charming hood who's stymied the police on a brother's bogus alibi, then assumes a new name to infiltrate the culprit's quarters in hopes of finding evidence to bring an indictment. Stars Elizabeth Sellars as the undercover angel, she with a face that would have this critic boarding one of those 'thousand ships,' her fearless Jean a rare mix of Nancy Drew, Evelyn Keyes (99 River) and Sgt Pepper, Police Woman variety (Dickinson). The ruggedly handsome, Kieron Moore plays her quarry, Nick "a natural product of the miracle age," not so nasty as he is reckless in trying to wrest control of the local racket (Benson), much to the dismay of his older brother, the not so "stodgy" Dr Conway (Underdown) who patches-up the scoundrel after every job while competing for Miss Talbot's hand, one she's trying not to tip. Support comes from John Horsley as the colorless but capable Insp Trubridge, Ethel O'Shea is the physically fragile but mentally muscular, Mom Conway, with Derek Blomfield and Michael Balfour as Nick's operatives. Written & directed for Tempean / Eros by Hammer Studio fixture, John Gilling who, along with scorist Stan Black (OBE) & lensman / co-producer Monty Berman (+ Baker), all keep Recoil engaging throughout. A well-crafted quickie (79m) that builds tension to a thrill-filled, scale balancing climax (3/4).

I watched and loved this crime film from UK because of the Kieron Moore's presence and performance. And an early John Gilling's movie is always worth the risk of wasting eighthy five minutes. The typical noir crime film from the fifties UK, which John Gilling was then the specialist, before offfering us later adventure and horror films...Here, the story proposes nothing really exceptional but the result is gritty, rough, with a good ending, which is very important. Not a masterpiece but still rare and worth watching. Kieron Moore was one of my favorite British actor from the fifties seventies era.

The 'other' Ian Fleming plays the lovely Elisabeth Sellars' father and Edward Underdown and Keiron Moore are rather unlikely siblings in this talky but well-acted and languidly ruthless little crime drama with the usual atmospheric photography by co-producer Monty Berman and some surprisingly violent action.