The Switch

I enjoy watching these old British crime films...... this one is in the Edgar Wallace Mystery type of story and direction.... There's a good few well known British film actors in this including a very funny cameo by Jimmy Hanley, as himself. The film has the typical British humour and even makes reference to Ian Fleming and his James Bond novels including a good guy, Conrad Phillips, just back from Japan and with a few 'spy' gadgets that were super small (for the day 😀) and even two way radios..... disguised as cigarette cases, the film is well worth watching and from my own experience, not readily available, indeed I was lucky enough to catch it on, Talking Pictures TV (They have a website too that you can watch it on if you can't get the channel yourself) ..... if you enjoy these old 1950's or early 1960's films this film will not disappoint....

A typical British supporting feature of its day, with the classy Zena Marshall as the victim of a watch-smuggling racket. With the heroic figures of Anthony Steel, Dermot Walsh, and Conrad 'William Tell' Phillips on the case though, it's clear that the villains don't have much of a chance. Not as complicated as some of the contemporary Edgar Wallace movies but not lacking in some dry humour and very watchable. Steel was no longer a major star by now and Fifties leading lady, at least in 'B' pictures, Susan Shaw, has only a minor role as the Search Officer.

A breezy quickie in which Conrad Phillips and the always glamorous Zena Marshall make a charming couple as they cross the path of the usual bunch of mean-looking crooks.

Nope, there's nothing at all original with this short-ish feature, but it's still just about worth watching. You see, freelance model "Carolyn" (Zena Marshall) has gone and got herself mixed up with some luxury watch smugglers and they have had to put her under lock and key when their shipment goes missing and she's thought to be the culprit! Perplexed that she hasn't been in touch, her beau "John" (Conrad Phillips) manages to enlist the help of customs inspector "Craddock" (Anthony Steel) and policeman "Tomlinson" (Dermot Walsh) - and soon they are hot on the trail of the gang. The plot itself is all pretty procedural - as is the acting and writing, but hats off to Peter Butterworth for a fun cameo as a fashion photographer and to Jimmy Handley for brightening things up too - for a frame or two - as our story bubbles along for just over an hour of vintage cars and pretty scenery without the merest hint of menace or jeopardy.

The Switch is a standard B feature but on the surface looks as if it should have so much more - a cast led by the trio of Anthony Steel (by now on the downslope of his briefly stellar career), Dermot Walsh (minus famous badger quiff) and Zena Marshall (fresh from cavorting with then spitting at Sean Connery in 'Dr No') - never really takes off.

Nevertheless, there are some nice touches- a 5 minute cameo from Jerry Desmonde, a 10 second cameo by Jimmy Hanley, a few minutes for Susan Shaw in (sadly), her last role, and a hilariously camp Peter Butterworth for a preciously short appearance, and at least two very nice Sunbeam Alpines (the first Bond car and one of several nods to 007). It also has to be mentioned in dispatches that Arnold Diamond is the least convincing Frenchman since 'Allo Allo'.