Piccadilly Third Stop

Terence Morgan heads the cast in this well-wrought crime story climaxing with a dramatic caper sequence. He's a dastardly type, using women as tools to financial ends. Romancing an innocent young Asian student, he plans a robbery at her country's embassy. His helpers are excellent John Crawford and William Hartnell as the safe-cracker who considers himself an 'artist'. The dialog is often clever and amusing. There are no weak links in the cast that includes Mai Zetterling, Yoko Tani, Charles Kay and great Dennis Price. A jazz-inflected score works well in some scenes, many of which are filmed on London locations. The title apparently refers to the fictional "Belgravia" Underground station in the story. Director Wolf Rilla really scores with this one. Recommended.

The British crime-heist b-movie PICCADILLY THIRD STOP could also be known as It's Your Fault Jungle since there's never been a more spiteful, argumentative group to rob a safe together...

Which includes usual suspect ingredients like the safe-cracker himself, the wild card, the weak link, the leader, and instead of the usual Noir two are three dames, and the most important isn't British but Asian in French-born starlet Yôko Tani as a rich ambassador's initially virginal daughter until played by womanizing lead Terence Morgan...

After which she becomes part manipulated Geisha girl part trophy Marilyn Monroe from aforementioned muse ASPHALT JUNGLE, including not only an anticipated double-cross but attempted triple-cross...

Particularly with HELL IS A CITY edgy American import John Crawford, in-dept to crooked casino-owner Dennis Price while unhappily married to ingenue Mai Zetterling (sleeping with the sneaky Morgan, who lives with an underused Ann Lynn)...

So basically STOP is dialog-driven as the suspense lies not in the heist or whoever might be killed but who'll get a punch in the nose for annoying one another...

That's except for quirky safe-cracking scene-stealer William Hartnell... who needed more screen-time since when he's around, the gang (movie) becomes more centered, driven, professional.

A well-cast British crime caper, PICCADILLY THIRD STOP has the indignity of being a forgotten film, one of those that occasionally shows up in the middle of the night on TV. That unwieldy title doesn't help matters either. It's a pity, because this is a perfectly acceptable movie, one that's well made and suspenseful, with a tight story and realistic characters to propel the narrative.

The plot sees a group of criminals coming together to steal £100,00, hidden in a safe in an expensive mansion. The group is made up of various characters: Terence Morgan (CURSE OF THE MUMMY'S TOMB) leads as the cold, almost reptilian organiser, while John Crawford is more than effective as the edgy American. William Hartnell in particular shines as the old-fashioned safe cracker, while Mai Zetterling (THE WITCHES) and Yoko Tani (SAMSON AND THE SEVEN MIRACLES OF THE WORLD) add glamour value. Watch out for Dennis Price in the minor role of a loan shark.

The film begins rather slowly, taking time to explore the characters and their relationships, but quickly builds up steam in the second half. The scene of the actual robbery is limited to the last 20 minutes or so but makes for cracking entertainment, with plenty of suspense to keep it brimming along.

This excellent, unjustifiably overlooked, film, has a great part for future Doctor Who, William Hartnell. His character, "The General", is an over-the-hill safe cracker (in the mold of Ray Milland's character in "The safe cracker" or the crooks in "Timelock"). His Colonel is wonderfully fastidious, with great little mannerisms totally foreign to his portrayal of the Doctor. Terence Morgan is coldly wooden, but this fits his character perfectly, as the wannabe underworld spiv. Lastly, I have to compliment Philip Green's score. Green, while being perhaps a bit TOO prolific, here depicts the London underworld with loads of icy jazz; it seems like every scene someone is playing a record or listening to a tape of his music, it's integrated really cleverly into the film. Totally recommended if you can find it.

Terrence Morgan crashes an embassy party, and seduces the ambassador's daughter. She's in love, and agrees to help him steal a hundred thousand pounds from the embassy's safe. Since Morgan is also carrying on numerous other affairs, he acquires a crew, thanks to John Crawford. As they ready their job, everyone reveals a plan to swindle everyone else, except for cracksman William Hartnell.

Wolf Rilla's crime drama is a fine, seedy affair, with the heart of the theft done in silence, which is a relief from Phillip Green's intrusive and annoying score. Yôko Tani, John Crawford, Mai Zetterling and Dennis Price round out a fine cast, and Ernest Steward's gloomy and threatening lighting of Underground tunnels helps the mood.