Monday 15 May 2023

The Long Arm (1956 Charles Frend)

One of the last films to bear the Ealing Studios crest is a matter-of-fact look at the work of Superintendent Jack Hawkins, who's pursuing a case of theft where the thief has the safe keys, whilst breaking in a new detective, John Stratton. This ultimately involves the murder of a night watchman, a small role for Ian Bannen, and a quite thrilling finale in and outside the Royal Festival Hall (London at night has rarely looked so deserted), where the two detectives almost let the criminal get away because between them they DON'T HAVE ANY HANDCUFFS.

With Dorothy Alison, Richard Leech, Geoffrey Keen, Sydney Tafler, Ursula Howells, Meredith Edwards, William Mervyn (The Railway Children) and, somewhere there in uniform, Nicholas Parsons.

Lots of good on location filming by Gordon Dines, music by Gerard Schurmann, written by Robert Barr and Janet Green.


An alternative title was The Three Keys, which those who've seen the film will agree with me is a stupid title.


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