Meet Mr. Callaghan

Love this film and watch it regularly and it has kept reasonably faithful to Cheyney's The Urgent Hangman. I think Derrick De Marney plays the lead perfectly and is ably supported by a fine supporting cast. The plot is a little convoluted and I needed more than one viewing to tie up the loose ends. Williams playing Bellamy was a tour de force of acting for me and stole the show in the relatively short scene he had, catch this one if you can.

Adapted from a series of books. Slim Callaghan (Derrick de Marney) is a hard boiled private eye in the style of Sam Spade.

This British B movie has Slim in financial trouble. He cannot afford to pay his rent or his secretary who is already looking for another job.

Late at night, in walks in Cynthia Meraulton. The stepdaughter of one of the wealthiest man in England. She fears her stepfather's life is in danger as he plans to change his will. Maybe one of his sons will do the deed.

Slim takes the job as he is paid £500 and the money will come handy. He has holes in his shoes.

While talking to a journalist later that night. Slim learns that the stepfather was killed that evening.

Maybe Cynthia was involved somehow. Slim needs to find the new will and maybe whoever set Cynthia up.

The character is Slim is cunning and conniving. The police do not like him as he is the kind of guy who lies and tampers with evidence.

Slim Callaghan does come across rather unsympathetic but he does have a plan of sorts. The movie is too overplotted and gets confusing.

It is a sprightly low budget noir B movie.

Derrick De Marney plays Slim Callaghan as a poor mans version of Sam Spade or Phillip Marlowe rather unsuccessfully.The air of world wide cynicism may work for Bogart or Dick Powell but it doesn't work for him.This is one of those rather over plotted thrillers where the private eye is always one step ahead of the dimwitted police and the actual killer comes as little surprise when the identity is revealed in the denouement.In the meantime Adrienne Corri is given time to warble a ballad in a nightclub and show a lot of fiery temperament.There is the usual attempt at a funny sidekick,from an actor i do not remember>Michae Balfour who normally fills these roles has a small part as a bartender.Fairly undistinguished all round.

MEET MR. CALLAGHAN is a detective story devoid of detection and interest. It just sort of plods along from beginning to end without ever engaging the senses or providing even fitful entertainment. There's a mildly exciting opening murder sequence and it all goes downhill from there as the viewer is introduced to one of the dullest lead characters ever in a film from the era.

Derrick De Marney plays the hero, who is a kind of 'gentleman sleuth', a variety beloved back in the day. He underplays it to the point of catalepsy; never has a film cried out for a more lively and invigorated hero than this one. The mystery itself is a plodding affair with the villains given little screen time and a general lack of clue-solving and detection which makes it a very boring experience. More time is spent with the insufferable policeman (Trevor Reid) harassing the protagonist than on the actual plot. Adrienne Corri makes a mark in an early role.

This is a neat, entertaining and witty British movie from the 1950's which is very much enhanced by an excellent lead performance by Derrick De Marney as Slim Callaghan. Based on a Peter Cheyney novel, and featuring his main character of Callaghan, the film moves along at a brisk pace, and the plot, which is quite involved, never sags and retains the viewers interest all the way. This is helped in no small way by a sharp and vibrant script. Although other actors have portrayed Slim Callaghan, there is little doubt that De Marney is by far the best. His laconic and downbeat style fits the character perfectly, and it is a pity that it was never put to further good purpose. In many ways, he provides a perfect comparison to similar American-style gumshoes in movies from the 40's and 50's, in particular. The scene in the nightclub, when he is tempted by singer Adrienne Corri, is a joy of deadpan expression and he certainly carries this film along in a thoroughly expert way. You are left with the distinct impression that this is how the author imagined his main character to be. All in all, a film well worth catching and one that should gain a wider audience.