Enter Inspector Duval

The title suggests the first of a series in this quirky little hybrid made at Ardmore Studios set in London while shot on obviously Irish locations; but this was very much a one-off.

Anton Diffring was certainly cast against type as a debonair French detective, while several of the supporting cast (including the actress briefly seen as murdered socialite Alice Alvarez in flashback) are perceptibly post-synced, presumably to conceal their brogues. The gurgling voice of female lead Diane Hart is unmistakably Anglo-Saxon though.

This deceptively delightful, vastly neglected thriller stars everyone's favourite Teutonic villain Anton Diffring, the frightfully urbane, mellifluously-voiced Thespian now takes on the alternate Gallic mantle of indomitable Inspector Duval of the Sûreté, a most capable cop, his singular obsession to capture elusive cat burglar 'Mr. March' brings the meticulous sleuth to the UK, where a grisly crime scene bearing the signature hallmarks of a recent murder, strongly suggest that the wily, and wholly ruthless 'Mr. March' is actively perpetrating his cool, exacting mode of ruthless, well-planned larceny. Max Varnel's dynamic, conspicuously thrilling pulp-noir 'Enter Inspector Duval' is a sheer delight from start to finish, a neatly conceived vintage murder mystery, gloriously garlanded with another exceptionally refined performance from the effortlessly debonair Diffring, which culminates zestfully in a suitably exhilarating, playfully twisted, break-neck paced climax!

I love these obscure support feature movies on Talking pictures. Usually set in the fifties, they offer the chance to wallow in the nostalgia of real period detail such as old British cars, wired telephones and everybody smoking like chimneys!

In there also is usually a neat little story and this is no exception. First surprise is everyone's-favourite-fifties-nazi Anton Diffring playing the titular debonair French detective, who has come over to help the Brit plods track down the notorious jewel thief, and murderer, Mr March. A young woman is strangled and her diamonds nicked. The police have suspects but little to go on. Fortunately for the audience we are allowed insight via the activities of some of Mr March's accomplices. Due to the obviously limited budget, this seems to include most of the cast! Inspector Duval applies his Gallic charm to both male and female suspects and appears to be working towards a solution. However, as players are discounted one by one, the culprit unfortunately becomes rather obvious.

As someone else has remarked, the title gives the impression that the movie could have been the first of a series. In fact with a little bit of trimming it could have been a t v cop show episode. Nice to see Anton Diffring in something other than an SS uniform. Pity he didn't do more such roles.

Wow I love old films if not for the plot or lack of but to see the scenery the way life way through a smokey haze.

Now this is a hodgepodge an English production in Ireland with a famous war film naztzi actor playing an parisian detective didn't the Sûreté notice his suspect accent.

Not a bad film the pipe smoking English inspector with old school tie rather timid for the job.

As always I enjoy an old film and keep an open mind as its unfair to use modern day values on these old films.

Talking pictures seems to be stuck apologising for every film they show trying to be so over pc .They are old films not documentaries.

A socialite by the name of Alice Alvarez is the latest victim of Jewel thief, Mr March, only this time she's killed. Scotland Yard are on the case, but this time they are joined by France's finest, Inspector Duval.

The entrance and exit of Inspector Duval, I wonder if there had initially been plans for a few Inspector Duval films, after watching this, you can understand why they stopped at just the one.

Very much a pot boiler, it's a very pedestrian, almost dour plot, there's nothing original, nothing exciting, nothing clever, it's one of those films you'll have forgotten about thirty minutes after the credits have rolled.

Why did they have to make Diffring French? Had he been Swiss or Belgian, it may have worked, but who could even remotely believe that he's French? He doesn't even try to mask his accent.

Some of those accents are hilarious, one suspects a few mouthfuls of marbles to achieve the desired sound.

On the plus side, it's very stylish, visually it's appealing, sadly the other elements don't have quite the same impact.

4/10.