Dick Barton: Special Agent

This is one of the worst films to watch as an adult, and as an adult who appreciates Kane, Orphee, Rashomon, Godfather I/II, Donnie Darko etc to name just a handful. You have to try and switch your Cynic Button to Standby for 66 minutes and enjoy it for what it was. I agree it is a laughable and witless film - but it was made for British children and especially the post-WW2 teenagers listening to the weekly BBC radio series - who weren't so demanding as we all have become. Although apparently the BBC were initially surprised that children were listening in their millions, and eventually decided to "tone" the gratuitous sex and mindless violence in DB down. Which of course by todays high standards was on the level of Sesame Street, but losing even that meant the end as the millions turned off. Could you watch old serials such as Nyoka nowadays without laughing - could a serious film buff in the 40's?

A populist subject for the film - a gang of Nazi smugglers operating in quaint English fishing village, plotting the downfall of all around them. Don Stannard was excellent for the ... unbelievably manly role of Dick Barton - although since Red Dwarf I can't quite get Arnold Rimmer out of my head. And current Tory Party Boss David Cameron too for that matter! Snowy and Jock were both there as DB's sidekicks, played with gusto if not finesse. What I find when I let go is that this sometimes atmospheric film is an enjoyable romp (semi-silent, too!) from proto-Hammer, which strains credulity at every turn but keeps you watching like all Fantasies should do. The whole production was cheap and amateurish which is reflected in the acting. Marvellously refreshing after seeing Requiem For A Dream!

Therefore I don't think Plan 9's Title is in jeopardy, except maybe from Blazing Saddles - time will tell!

Based on the classic British Radio series this clunker of a movie is a series of bad choices (which they corrected for the next two movies), and one of the worst films Hammer Studios ever produced.

The plot of this film has to do with smuggling and Nazi spies in and around a small English Village. The villain is a German agent posing, as a Swedish scientist, complete with German accent. He has secret tunnels and hideouts in the village and is plotting great evil. He is aided by various people in the village all of whom are suspicious looking in the extreme. Good guy Dick Barton is sent to the town by his bosses, under cover of taking a vacation, to the village to find out whats going on.

This movie is bad, really bad. The film was aimed at kids and they dumb the whole movie down with over the top performances and really bad humor. Frankly this is more a misfiring comedy rather than the exciting action adventure of the radio. The direction is at best stiff with the actors not so much directed as arranged in tableaux, upon which the camera locks. It reminded me of a movie from the advent of the movies.

I'm dumb founded at this films awfulness.

I've given the movie a 2 instead of a 1 because there a few fleeting moments where the movie actually works, but they are high points in a very low movie and nothing you need concern yourself with. It would probably be best if you just skipped this movie and watched either of the other two Dick Barton films that followed.

ALMOST INSUFFERABLE...JUVENILE COMEDY-ADVENTURE...FROM POPULAR BRITISH RADIO

Very Early Hammer Cheapie when the Newly-Born Studio was Floundering About in a Number of Genres.

In this one Hammer Dumbs-Down Popular Radio Hero Barton to a Comedy-Adventure with Copious Amounts of Slapstick and Bad Mugging.

Certainly Made for a Juvenile Audience.

It's Lively, if Nothing Else, and Manages a Fast-Pace both in Montage and Dialog.

This Type of Speedy Line-Delivery is Reminiscent of Screw-Ball Comedies from Hollywood.

They also Borrow the Style and Tone of the Serials.

Most of the Action is Fisticuffs with a Couple of Car Romps and Bit on the Sea.

The Studio Saw the Error of Their Ways and the Sequels are Much Better.

Not Much to Offer Except Nostalgia for those that Lived Through the Early Years of the Brit. Hero.

Most of those Fans will be Disappointed with this Entry but can Look Forward to Better Movies Ahead.

Based on the popular B.B.C. radio serial, this first film in Hammer's Dick Barton series is a real disappointment, failing to capture the spirit of the character, the formula ruined by too much dumb humour and a script that relies on coincidence to drive the plot. It also suffers from terrible direction and clumsy editing, director Alfred J. Goulding's previous experience in quickie shorts and slapstick comedy not suited to the action/adventure genre.

The plot sees Barton (Don Stannard) and his sidekick Snowey White (George Ford) travelling to the fishing village of Echo Bay where they come up against Nazis who are planning to introduce deadly bacteria into the UK's water supplies. With very broad performances from both the baddies and Barton's companions from the outset, this is all way too silly to be genuinely exciting, and the script's contrivances only make things even harder to take seriously. The accidental delivery of lobsters to Barton and friends is possibly the worst offender - the discovery of valuables inside the shellfish conveniently tipping off the special agent that something is very wrong in Echo Bay - but there are plenty of other daft moments to spoil the film, including several lame attempts on Barton's life by a pair of bumbling henchman (who use a poison tipped dart - of the type found in pubs).

2.5/10, generously rounded up to 3 for this unintentionally amusing line uttered by the film's token babe Jean Hunter (Gillian Maude): "It's no use, Betsy... I can't stand this any longer. I'm going out to look for Dick."

The maiden episode of a short-lived trio of Dick Barton movies made by Hammer is a jaunty period piece from the days when the dastardly villains were still nazis rather than commies.

It's amateurish technique, period detail and use of actual locations today gains it considerable interest viewed purely as a documentary.