Dusty Ermine

The title might actually have been explained in Neil Grant's original play, which sadly seems typical of the inattention to mundane details which pushed producer Julius Hagen into bankruptcy within a year of this film's release. Hagen seems actually to have splashed out on sending to the Austrian Alps leads Anthony Bushell, the delightful Jane Baxter (whom I saw in the flesh along with director Bernard Vorhaus at a screening of this film on the South Bank in 1986) and writer/actor Arthur Macrae for the James Bond-style finale.

The cast also includes slightly younger versions than we are accustomed to of Ronald Squire before he grew his moustache (the film ends with a wonderful gag reminding us of his resourcefulness as a forger), Katie Johnson (nearly twenty years before 'The Ladykillers'), and Margaret Rutherford making a priceless film debut as a master criminal (a role not in the original play).

That was a good flick! Very Hitchkockian in it's direction.

For a British film of this period it has a very fast pace, albeit mostly due to rear screen work. The performances, although a little theatrical, are very good for the time. Margaret Rutherford is particularly entertaining. I found the film thoroughly enjoyable, but then I like that kind of thing.

This is quite a decent, character-driven yarn about a forger "Kent" (Ronald Squire) who has recently been released from prison and who is determined to stay on the straight and narrow. Snag is, his young nephew "Gilbert" (Arthur Macrae) has fallen in with his former gang and they are now up to no good in Switzerland. That's where he must now head, hoping to extricate him before Scotland Yard in the form of "Insp. Forsyth" (Anthony Bushell) bangs them all to rights. The presence of Felix Aylmer, Austin Trevor and Katie Johnson add loads to the detail and charm of the plot, and Margaret Rutherford is just super as the shrewd "Miss Butterby". It is a little too long and the story is a wee bit all over the place, but that doesn't really matter - it's just a good excuse for them all to have some fun in the snow, and for the most part it's quite contagious. I could have done with a bit more from Squire, but what we do have is entertaining enough.

Hi Folks, This is a great British film of 1936 with a good cast and story, the ending sequence will have you on the edge of your seats just like in the great tradition of 1930's serial cliffhangers, I found my self yelling at the screen 'for heaven's sake get down that mountain' not something I'm given to doing at films nowadays at 62 it's not something thats the thing to do... or is it, this film is great fun and the end chase down the ski slopes is a real cliffhanger, it took me back to Saturday morning kids matinée's during the 1950's, if you enjoy old cinema serials enjoy this film, if you've never seen this type film then watch and enjoy and see what you missed, also worth watching for the technology of the time, which in no way decreases the pace, great entertainment.