Army-deserter Derek Farr is living in a small town under a new name. When a former army-mate accidentally spots him and tries to blackmail him, he moves to London. There he tries to sell his army gun in a pawn shop, but at that same time the shop gets robbed, and a cop is shot as a result. He hides out in the home of widow Joan Hopkins, who believes his story, and tries to help him clear his name. But his description is in all the newspapers, and because a cop has died, police inspector Edward Chapman and his assistant Laurence Harvey are under extra pressure to find the men who did it.
A classic 'innocent man on the run' story, where Farr initially cannot go to the police because he is an army-deserter, and then becomes a suspected cop killer. Farr ('Murder Without Crime') and Hopkins ('Double Confession') are great and have good chemistry together. It's a shame Hopkins appeared in only a handful of movies, she's talented with good screen presence. This was one of Laurence Harvey's ('The Good Die Young', 'The Manchurian Candidate') first movies, he doesn't have to do much here except tower head and shoulders above the much smaller Chapman ('It Always rains On Sunday'), who is good as the smart and determined police detective.
While the acting and story are good, but nothing remarkable, this movie has a beautiful noir look. The sets, especially the interiors, are exceptionally well-made, made to look as decrepit and dingy as possible. The rooms, pubs and hallways have a ton of details and items stuffed all over the place, to also make them look small and claustrophobic. The camera work by Wilkie Cooper (Hitchcock's 'Stage Fright', 'Green For Danger') is also excellent, with very moody lighting and stark shadows where necessary. Director and screenplay writer Lawrence Huntington ('The Upturned Glass') keeps things moving at a fast pace and keeps things focused on Farr and Chapman, making this a tense and thrilling movie. Farr's motives for deserting the army could be seen as a form of social commentary, but after they're mentioned nothing's done with it, leaving a slightly bitter end to the 'redemptive' ending. All in all tho, this is a good and thrilling Britnoir that doesn't break any new grounds but delivers on its premise and looks great. 7+/10
A classic 'innocent man on the run' story, where Farr initially cannot go to the police because he is an army-deserter, and then becomes a suspected cop killer. Farr ('Murder Without Crime') and Hopkins ('Double Confession') are great and have good chemistry together. It's a shame Hopkins appeared in only a handful of movies, she's talented with good screen presence. This was one of Laurence Harvey's ('The Good Die Young', 'The Manchurian Candidate') first movies, he doesn't have to do much here except tower head and shoulders above the much smaller Chapman ('It Always rains On Sunday'), who is good as the smart and determined police detective.
While the acting and story are good, but nothing remarkable, this movie has a beautiful noir look. The sets, especially the interiors, are exceptionally well-made, made to look as decrepit and dingy as possible. The rooms, pubs and hallways have a ton of details and items stuffed all over the place, to also make them look small and claustrophobic. The camera work by Wilkie Cooper (Hitchcock's 'Stage Fright', 'Green For Danger') is also excellent, with very moody lighting and stark shadows where necessary. Director and screenplay writer Lawrence Huntington ('The Upturned Glass') keeps things moving at a fast pace and keeps things focused on Farr and Chapman, making this a tense and thrilling movie. Farr's motives for deserting the army could be seen as a form of social commentary, but after they're mentioned nothing's done with it, leaving a slightly bitter end to the 'redemptive' ending. All in all tho, this is a good and thrilling Britnoir that doesn't break any new grounds but delivers on its premise and looks great. 7+/10