THE SHOP AT SLY CORNER – 1947
I had this one sitting in the, "to watch" pile for several years. Every time it hit the top I would stick it back to the bottom. The title just did not garb me. This time I decided to give it a spin, and boy was I surprised. It is a first class production with more than a few film noir touches throughout.
Oscar Homolka headlines the film with excellent help from Kenneth Griffith, Muriel Pavlow, Derek Farr, Manning Whiley and Gary Marsh.
Homolka runs a successful antique shop with an interesting sideline. He is in partnership with cat burglar, Manning Whiley. Whiley steals gold and jewels which Homokla breaks down. The gold is melted down and the jewels shipped offshore. All this is so Homolka can pay for his daughter, Muriel Palow's education and training as a world class violin player.
Of course this happy arrangement cannot continue forever. Homolka's shop assistant, Kenneth Griffith is a crooked little rat, who is not adverse to pocketing a few pounds, by selling items for a bit more than priced. The swine is also infatuated with Homolka's daughter.
One evening Griffith happens to overhears Homolka and Whiley taking about their arrangement. Homolka is telling Whiley that he has enough of the deal. He has enough cash saved to look after himself and see to his daughter. He also tells Whiley about his early life. He was from France and had once been a prisoner on Devil's Island. He had murdered a man and been sentenced to life. He had escaped and had been living under a false name in England since. Whiley is cool with the break up as he also feels it is time to cool his heels.
After Whiley leaves, Homolka is confronted by Griffith. The man is in the mood for a spot of blackmail. Pony up some cash, or Griffith will spill the beans to John Law about Homolka's past.
Several months later, Derek Farr, a navy doctor, returns from the far-east. Farr is the fiancé of Palow. The two are madly in love, which makes Homolka very happy. Daughter Palow though has noticed a difference in her father over the last few months. He seems bothered by something. She has fiancé Farr have a word with Homolka about it. Farr has also noticed that former shop assistant Griffith seems to be in the cash of late. He is always popping in to see Homolka and acts like he owns the place. Homolka just says he is feeling a bit under the weather.
Griffith is have a grand time on Homolka's dime. He is dressed to the nines in fancy clothes, has a great apartment and has just bought a flash car. Every time he needs a bit of loot, he just puts the touch on Homolka.
Homolka gets hold of his old partner, Whiley for a talk about Griffith. Whiley is all for eliminating Griffith and knows a few "heavy mob" types who will make Griffith "disappear". Homokla is not willing to go that far. He just wanted Whiley to know what was going on. Homolka has a plan that he hopes will end the matter.
He will offer Griffith 20,000 pounds to leave the country. Take it or leave type thing. If Griffith goes to the Police he will be ending his supply of cash.
Several days later, Griffith pays the shop a call to see Homolka. The future son in law, Farr, happens to be there waiting to pick up Palow. The oily Griffith makes some crack about Palow, to which Farr responds with several solid punches to the head. He then picks up Griffith and tosses him out in the street.
Griffith, rather annoyed with the beating Farr gave him, returns that evening with his answer to Homolka's offer. He wants the cash, and he also intends to marry Palow himself. He wants Homolka to break up Farr and his daughter's planned marriage.
Homolka has had enough, and without really thinking, is soon choking the life out of the bastard Griffith. Collecting himself, Homolka calls Whiley over to the shop. Whiley has a look at the stiff and agrees to help Homolka dispose of the swine. They pop the body into Whiley's car and drop it off in an outlaying wooded area. It is pouring rain, so they assume the water will wash any evidence away.
Unfortunately for them there was a witness to them dumping the body. A woman spotted the men as they drove off from the woods. She gives the Police the car plate numbers. The body is quickly found and the wheels start rolling. Homolka is soon paid a visit from Police Inspector Gary Marsh about his former assistant. Marsh and Homolka are friends as Marsh is a collector who has bought items from the shop before.
Needless to say the whole thing starts to come unglued as clues start to pop up for the Police. Whiley is tracked down from his car plates and is killed in a high speed chase trying to escape. A search of Griffith's flat finds a bit too many objects from Homolka's shop. The Police cannot find any bank records, of where Griffith was getting his cash from. The leads all seem to head back to Homolka.
Without giving away the ending, suffice it to say it is a real cracker. Homolka is great in this film, taking full advantage of one of the few times he had a leading role.
Director George King hits all the marks spot on in this superb UK noir.
I had this one sitting in the, "to watch" pile for several years. Every time it hit the top I would stick it back to the bottom. The title just did not garb me. This time I decided to give it a spin, and boy was I surprised. It is a first class production with more than a few film noir touches throughout.
Oscar Homolka headlines the film with excellent help from Kenneth Griffith, Muriel Pavlow, Derek Farr, Manning Whiley and Gary Marsh.
Homolka runs a successful antique shop with an interesting sideline. He is in partnership with cat burglar, Manning Whiley. Whiley steals gold and jewels which Homokla breaks down. The gold is melted down and the jewels shipped offshore. All this is so Homolka can pay for his daughter, Muriel Palow's education and training as a world class violin player.
Of course this happy arrangement cannot continue forever. Homolka's shop assistant, Kenneth Griffith is a crooked little rat, who is not adverse to pocketing a few pounds, by selling items for a bit more than priced. The swine is also infatuated with Homolka's daughter.
One evening Griffith happens to overhears Homolka and Whiley taking about their arrangement. Homolka is telling Whiley that he has enough of the deal. He has enough cash saved to look after himself and see to his daughter. He also tells Whiley about his early life. He was from France and had once been a prisoner on Devil's Island. He had murdered a man and been sentenced to life. He had escaped and had been living under a false name in England since. Whiley is cool with the break up as he also feels it is time to cool his heels.
After Whiley leaves, Homolka is confronted by Griffith. The man is in the mood for a spot of blackmail. Pony up some cash, or Griffith will spill the beans to John Law about Homolka's past.
Several months later, Derek Farr, a navy doctor, returns from the far-east. Farr is the fiancé of Palow. The two are madly in love, which makes Homolka very happy. Daughter Palow though has noticed a difference in her father over the last few months. He seems bothered by something. She has fiancé Farr have a word with Homolka about it. Farr has also noticed that former shop assistant Griffith seems to be in the cash of late. He is always popping in to see Homolka and acts like he owns the place. Homolka just says he is feeling a bit under the weather.
Griffith is have a grand time on Homolka's dime. He is dressed to the nines in fancy clothes, has a great apartment and has just bought a flash car. Every time he needs a bit of loot, he just puts the touch on Homolka.
Homolka gets hold of his old partner, Whiley for a talk about Griffith. Whiley is all for eliminating Griffith and knows a few "heavy mob" types who will make Griffith "disappear". Homokla is not willing to go that far. He just wanted Whiley to know what was going on. Homolka has a plan that he hopes will end the matter.
He will offer Griffith 20,000 pounds to leave the country. Take it or leave type thing. If Griffith goes to the Police he will be ending his supply of cash.
Several days later, Griffith pays the shop a call to see Homolka. The future son in law, Farr, happens to be there waiting to pick up Palow. The oily Griffith makes some crack about Palow, to which Farr responds with several solid punches to the head. He then picks up Griffith and tosses him out in the street.
Griffith, rather annoyed with the beating Farr gave him, returns that evening with his answer to Homolka's offer. He wants the cash, and he also intends to marry Palow himself. He wants Homolka to break up Farr and his daughter's planned marriage.
Homolka has had enough, and without really thinking, is soon choking the life out of the bastard Griffith. Collecting himself, Homolka calls Whiley over to the shop. Whiley has a look at the stiff and agrees to help Homolka dispose of the swine. They pop the body into Whiley's car and drop it off in an outlaying wooded area. It is pouring rain, so they assume the water will wash any evidence away.
Unfortunately for them there was a witness to them dumping the body. A woman spotted the men as they drove off from the woods. She gives the Police the car plate numbers. The body is quickly found and the wheels start rolling. Homolka is soon paid a visit from Police Inspector Gary Marsh about his former assistant. Marsh and Homolka are friends as Marsh is a collector who has bought items from the shop before.
Needless to say the whole thing starts to come unglued as clues start to pop up for the Police. Whiley is tracked down from his car plates and is killed in a high speed chase trying to escape. A search of Griffith's flat finds a bit too many objects from Homolka's shop. The Police cannot find any bank records, of where Griffith was getting his cash from. The leads all seem to head back to Homolka.
Without giving away the ending, suffice it to say it is a real cracker. Homolka is great in this film, taking full advantage of one of the few times he had a leading role.
Director George King hits all the marks spot on in this superb UK noir.