Hastings, East Sussex, England: A local drunk called Paul Bryant (Bill Nagy) is found dead following a brawl at a local nightclub where he and his wife Linda (Rona Anderson) had been celebrating their wedding anniversary. The coroner returns a verdict of heart failure, but that does not satisfy Bryant's old friend, an American writer called Gene Landers (Paul Carpenter), nor the local police who suspect foul play. An autopsy reveals that he had died as a result of an air bubble being injected into his vain by a syringe: air embolism. Landers agrees to help Inspector Gates with his inquiries by staying with Bryant's widow and the pair of them start to fall in love. As the case progresses, Landers discovers that his old friend was not at all a pleasant person. He was a heavy drinker, took drugs and even proposed to Linda's best friend, the artist Carol (Jane Griffiths), when he was already married to her. In addition, the businesman Norman Farrell (Ronald Leigh Hunt) is in love with Linda and becomes jealous of Landers' involvement with her. He didn't like the murdered man either nor did the local club owner Max with whom he had fought with on the night of his death. But, which one of them is the killer?
A quite likeable whodunit crime noir from quota quickie specialist EJ Fancey: Renown Pictures has just released a delightful DVD box set containing several of his 1950's b-pics; including this one. Directed by Michael McCarthy who was tipped to have a distinguished career in film making ahead of him; he tragically died in 1959 at the age of just forty two. Here he shows some flair for film noir and creating suspense.
The film opens in American film noir style with the hero Gene Landers (played by imported US leading man Carpenter who offers one of his best performances) in a dark flat lying on a couch chain smoking and listening to a romantic ballad. He has a guilty conscience and is being hunted down by the police for killing the businesman Norman Farrell at a struggle and shoot out on Hastings pier - but did he?. His artist friend Carol (competently played by Jane Griffiths who later starred in the excellent The Third Alibi) comes to console him and the narrative unfolds as they relate the events leading from his best friend's death to his current predicament. The solution when it comes isn't too bad and it leads to a fairly exciting climatic hunt for the killer on Hastings Pier in which the police evacuate all of the holidaymakers from it leaving just the unarmed Inspector Gates to track down a dangerous killer with a pistol. Landers can't believe his eyes and the policeman says to him: "Sorry, Sir, guns are frowned upon in this country" referring of course to the fact that unlike in the States the British police do not carry guns. Unable to stop him, the policeman has to let Landers go in to help his Inspector. However, the film's most tense aspect is Paul Carpenter's supposed killer hiding away with the police on his tail thinking that he has murdered somebody. We, the audience can actually imagine ourselves feeling as he would in such a scenario.
The acting is especially good all round with Carpenter and British b-pic leading lady Rona Anderson of particular note who effortlessly convey the emotional element between their two characters whom are brought together through Bill Nagy's murder. Their romance is threatened when Landers thinks that Linda had betrayed his best friend by being close to the rather clingy businessman Norman (very convincingly played by Ronald Leigh Hunt) and she feels rather guilty about beginning a relationship with him only days after her husband has died.
The film is attractively set in Hastings and the seaside locations are atmospherically captured by DP Geoffrey Faithful giving it a real feeling for place and period. The locations are pleasant to watch and add to the nostalgia aspect of watching this film. There is also some good comedy in the nightclub where the owner Max frequently gets into fights with people and the singer Jean Campbell immediately breaks off from singing her romantic ballad "Shadow Of The One I Love" and ups the tempo with "Come On You Drunken Sailors". This annoys Max who says "Cut the comedy and get back to your number." The former ballad is actually quite beautiful and an instrumental version of it plays over the opening and closing credits. It makes a change to have a 'B' film title song that is actually really good, it has to be said.
A quite likeable whodunit crime noir from quota quickie specialist EJ Fancey: Renown Pictures has just released a delightful DVD box set containing several of his 1950's b-pics; including this one. Directed by Michael McCarthy who was tipped to have a distinguished career in film making ahead of him; he tragically died in 1959 at the age of just forty two. Here he shows some flair for film noir and creating suspense.
The film opens in American film noir style with the hero Gene Landers (played by imported US leading man Carpenter who offers one of his best performances) in a dark flat lying on a couch chain smoking and listening to a romantic ballad. He has a guilty conscience and is being hunted down by the police for killing the businesman Norman Farrell at a struggle and shoot out on Hastings pier - but did he?. His artist friend Carol (competently played by Jane Griffiths who later starred in the excellent The Third Alibi) comes to console him and the narrative unfolds as they relate the events leading from his best friend's death to his current predicament. The solution when it comes isn't too bad and it leads to a fairly exciting climatic hunt for the killer on Hastings Pier in which the police evacuate all of the holidaymakers from it leaving just the unarmed Inspector Gates to track down a dangerous killer with a pistol. Landers can't believe his eyes and the policeman says to him: "Sorry, Sir, guns are frowned upon in this country" referring of course to the fact that unlike in the States the British police do not carry guns. Unable to stop him, the policeman has to let Landers go in to help his Inspector. However, the film's most tense aspect is Paul Carpenter's supposed killer hiding away with the police on his tail thinking that he has murdered somebody. We, the audience can actually imagine ourselves feeling as he would in such a scenario.
The acting is especially good all round with Carpenter and British b-pic leading lady Rona Anderson of particular note who effortlessly convey the emotional element between their two characters whom are brought together through Bill Nagy's murder. Their romance is threatened when Landers thinks that Linda had betrayed his best friend by being close to the rather clingy businessman Norman (very convincingly played by Ronald Leigh Hunt) and she feels rather guilty about beginning a relationship with him only days after her husband has died.
The film is attractively set in Hastings and the seaside locations are atmospherically captured by DP Geoffrey Faithful giving it a real feeling for place and period. The locations are pleasant to watch and add to the nostalgia aspect of watching this film. There is also some good comedy in the nightclub where the owner Max frequently gets into fights with people and the singer Jean Campbell immediately breaks off from singing her romantic ballad "Shadow Of The One I Love" and ups the tempo with "Come On You Drunken Sailors". This annoys Max who says "Cut the comedy and get back to your number." The former ballad is actually quite beautiful and an instrumental version of it plays over the opening and closing credits. It makes a change to have a 'B' film title song that is actually really good, it has to be said.