Face the Music

Kenny Baker's trumpet playing does most of the heavy lifting here in this otherwise rather long and daft crime drama. An enthusiastic Alex Nicol ("Bradley") is the box-office "star" brought over to augment this story of a newly-arrived, acclaimed, trumpeter who finds himself jet-lagged and embroiled in the killing of a singer. Trying to convince "Insp. MacKenzie" (Fred Johnson) of his innocence he determines to investigate the crime himself - and he quickly discovers that there is no shortage of suspects nor motives as we are exposed to some of the less savoury aspects of the music business. It's ending smacks more of "Poirot" as we end up with everyone in a room facing our sleuth who goes through them all one-by-one. If you like a good jazz trumpet soundtrack to a film, then you will certainly get more from this, otherwise it's a bit too long and it was pretty easy to guess whodunit early on.

Alex Nicol (Bradley) is a famous American trumpet player on tour in the UK who is exhausted and wants to go to bed. He encounters singer Ann Hanslip (Maxine) whilst on his way home and she invites him to her place for something to eat. The next morning he is a murder suspect as she has been bumped off in the night and it doesn't help that he has left his trumpet at her apartment. The film follows Nicol's efforts to get to the bottom of what has happened.

It's a mystery that leads you through many scenarios and it is quite complicated so make sure you keep up with all the characters. There are some great scenes, eg, the first meeting between Nicol and Hanslip when she is singing in a club and he gets out his trumpet and starts blowing out his tune at her. Ha ha. It is hilarious. There is some choice dialogue along the way and the film is quite funny (apart from the comedy character manager and some idiot selling trumpets) although I'm not sure it is always intentional. And God knows why Nicol solves the crime instead of the police. But so what.

This film has a great setting in the world of bedsits and nightclubs and it is interesting to see London in the 1950s. This brings me to the main reason I purchased this film. It has the street where I grew up - Elvaston Place - listed in the filming location. Sure enough, about 45 minutes into the film, Nicol exits a taxi to visit singer Eleanor Summerfield (Barbara) and there is my street. Not only that, but you can see the house I grew up in in the 1970s. That was an extra bonus. What is also funny is that the house that he visits (no. 12) had a couple of drug dealers living in the basement flat during the 1990s & 2000s. So, this scene brought back a slice of social history and many memories for me.

At one point, my wife said "Oh look, it's him from 'It Ain't Half Hot Mum'", the 1970s British sitcom set in the Burma jungle. I missed him but on checking the cast list, she was right - it's the little gay one. He plays a bellhop. Step forward Melvyn Hayes. "We're all going on a summer holiday" - "SHUUUUT UUP!" - ha ha.

My copy of the film is called "The Black Glove". Goodness knows why.

There is far too much music and not enough mystery.It means that the film lasts 15 minutes more then need be.Alex Nicol is yet another key lagged American who stumbled unwisely into a situation that leads to murder..He then spends the rest of the film trying to solve who is the murderer between blowing his own trumpet.It really is not particularly exciting.

It's difficult to believe that THE Terrence Fisher directed this slog of a mystery about the folks who inhabit the world of smoky jazz clubs. A scene in which Alex Nicol starts trouble in a tough London club and is able to just stroll out without a group of guys looking like they're auditioning for Reservoir Dogs kicking his head in is ridiculous. Mostly studio bound on cheap sets, the film wastes an opportunity to shoot good location footage. The two detectives investigating the murder of the pretty jazz singer mainly sit on their lardasses for most of the running time. The big reveal is a big nothing.

As a deeply passionate by Noir genre I used never give under seven in any of this kind, this is widely perceived a minor movie about an American high-profile trumpet jazz player James Bradley (Alex Nicol) arrives on London to do a British tour, after the show tired he accidently meets with a blonde gorgeous singer Maxine Halbartd (Ann Hanslip) which she invites him to a dinner at her home, the chemistry is blatant perceived, lately James leaving there, although someone entered in the Maxine's apartment, in the dawn James was wake up by the police asking where he was that night, he receives the bad news about Maxine's death, then he starts his own investigation, taking him on dangerous places at London, among fights, misunderstandings he is reaching of the truth, between a live show and countless research he will slowly getting to the point, an American British co-production on Hammer's label this movie is slow paced, but intriguing and too much complex adrift quite often, Alex Nicol doesn't fits on so-called handsome star, he usually was a good supporting casting, overall the picture wasn't so bad at all, beside it is a Noir movie!!

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First watch: 2020 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 7