Les trafiquants de la channel

One of several supporting features made by Republic Pictures in England in the mid Fifties, this stars the likable Wayne Morris as a charter-boat skipper becoming innocently involved with a gang of double-dealing smugglers, and meeting the glamorous Yvonne Furneaux. Photography is above average and R.G. Springsteen's direction, ensuring the picture doesn't drag, efficient, save in several poorly staged fight scenes. A youngish Patrick Allen is faintly risible as a trilby-hatted gun-toting thug.

It was rather difficult at times to work out who had killed who.The plot is rather more convoluted than it should have been.Republic chose an American over the hill actor and director for this film.The production values are not high.

As usual, a British film with the obligatory American lead (could have pretended to be Canadian but ....) in order to satisfy the producer, and the Screen Actors Guild . A mishmash of a forgettable plot and bad acting from all nationalities involved, and what is more of almost unbelievable accuracy in those days of sans radar !

In short, a waste of time ...

An extremely cheap-looking British second feature bolstered by slick direction from imported Hollywood director R.G.Springsteen and by good photography by Basil Emmott.

The late Wayne Morris ambles amiably mainly through studio scenes intercut with stirring footage of boats at sea. Yvonne Furneaux is nominally the female lead, but the film's glamorous blonde femme fatale is supplied by June Ashley playing the chief baddie's feline 'secretary', aptly named 'Kitty'.

Wayne Morris stars as an American, Tex Parker, who operates a boat charter in England. Tex fought in England during the war and stayed on after it was over. He is in for some bad luck when Carrick (Michael Golden) hires his boat. Tex becomes innocently involved with a gang of smugglers. Carrick and Platt (Patrick Allen) work for mastermind Dagoff (Carl Jaffe). Platt double crosses his partners, framing Tex for his misdeeds. The plan is to kill Tex, so no one can dispute Platt's double cross. Along the way Tex is helped by a French fishing boat and through them he meets a beautiful woman (Yvonne Furneaux).

I like Wayne Morris and I like British B' films. But the 6 score I gave this film is very generous. The film is rather flat in spots. The fights scenes are a bit of a muddle and not convincing. The romantic subplot is a bit of a stretch. There are some beautiful exterior shots, but mixed in with some really cheap looking sets. And although I like the plot, the dialogue does seem clumsy at times. It's not a boring film, certainly not a disaster. I would definitely watch it again. Just don't expect everyone's best work.