La calle de las sombras

This time it's Cesar Romero who has been drafted in to boost the box office for this otherwise rather unremarkable drama. He is "Luigi" and owns a seedy saloon that's usually frequented by petty criminals and ne'er-do-wells. One night he encounters the married, but neglected, "Barbara" (Kay Kendall) and after a whirlwind romance, they plot to elope. Before they can flee, though, his ex-girlfriend "Angelo" (Simone Silva) is found in his flat - dead as a doornail. He ropes in his rather untrustworthy pal "Limpy" (Victor Maddern) to get shot of the body, but the police intervene and both are soon facing interrogation. To be fair to Richard Vernon, the whodunit element of this thriller is kept under wraps til quite late in the day, so there is a gently accruing sense of mystery with quite a few red herrings to distract us from an ending that I quite liked. The production is really basic, though. The lighting is really in need of some extra wattage and the score is rather intrusive with enough harmonica to make an album of sea shanties. Not a film you'll remember, but it does remind of just how stylish Kendall was.

The Anglo-Amalgamated series of British crime dramas and Films Noirs that featured Hollywood actors tended to find good use for them. STREET OF SHADOWS is no exception. Cesar Romero is just fine as Luigi, a pinball (pin-table) club/bar owner in London. His faint Hispanic accent gives him a certain exotic charm and he can take charge of a scene when its required. Along for the ride are Kay Kendall, Victor Maddern and Edward Underdown, all more than capable of fulfilling their character parts. This is a fairly routine movie, but it can keep a viewer guessing and it makes use of some effective visuals. Luigi's club is realistically crowded with drinkers, gamblers and novelty machines, along with the advertised pinball ones. Most effective are several very darkly filmed sequences in which the viewer is challenged to detect what may be going on. For his role as Limpy, Maddern adopts a convincing defect in his walk and his performance is the most affecting in the film. The only problem--a small one--is the harmonica by Tommy Reilly used prominently in the score. It doesn't really jive well with the urban setting. This won't make you forget BRIGHTON ROCK or THE BIG SLEEP; it's just a very decent addition to the British crime movie lineup.

A typical 50s piece in B&W with Romero and Kendal holding it together. The rest of the acting ... Victor Madden limps rather too heavily whilst making sure the rest of his body is as twisted as is compatible with some forward movement. But is he twisted inside too?

Tommy Riley's harmonica lends an extra underworld tone. Obviously everyone smokes since this was cool. The sleeze factor is raised by the lack of spending on the sets.

Romero wastes no time by falling in love ASAP. Kendal, having had two years in a loveless marriage, surrenders (50s surrenders) immediately. It gets only slightly complicated thereafter.

Quite an atmospheric film from Merton Park.Caesar Romero is the parachuted in American star does a very reasonable job as the owner of a pin ball arcade.Victor Maddern gets quite a large role for a change.The plot has a predictable ending but it is worth the effort to watch.

Street of Shadows (AKA: Shadow Man) is directed by Richard Vernon, who also adapts the screenplay from the novel "The Creaking Chair" written by Laurence Meynell. It stars Cesar Romero, Victor Maddern, Kay Kendall, Simone Silva, John Penrose, Bill Travers and Liam Gaffney. Music is by Eric Spear, with harmonica by Tommy Reilly, and cinematography is by Phil Grindod.

A good old frame-up thriller with noir styling, Street of Shadows finds Romero as Luigi, the manager of a gaming premises in London's Soho area. When an old acquaintance of his, Angele Abbe (Silva), is found murdered in his apartment, he's naturally the chief suspect. Forced to go on the run, Luigi hopes that the police or himself can find the real culprit soon.

The story is pretty conventional stuff, with the mystery element none existent since it can only really be one person who committed the murder. However, the benefits elsewhere make this worth sampling by the film noir faithful, even if it's not what you would call essential viewing.

The whole picture is filmed in the noir style, Vernon and Grindod not missing any opportunities for a bit of shadow play or psychologically tinted contrast usage. The backdrop is a dour London of dark streets and alleyways, a dank part of the city where sordid characters go about their respective business. These people are either carrying some sort of affliction, aggressive or are emotionally stunted. An abused wife, a sexually frustrated janitor with a foot disability, card sharps, a man with huge cauliflower ears, a playboy, ladies of the night, or in the case of Luigi, someone who you really wouldn't want to count on.

Police Close Pin-Table Saloon!

Luigi's Pin-Table business is delightfully dingy, filled out with slot machines and macabre looking games such as a laughing sailor or Konki The Clown: Fortune Teller. Breezing around the place are the two gals, Angele and Barbara Gale (Kendall), getting the lads hot under the collar, while the human fortune teller Starry Darrell (Molly Hamley Clifford) is a splendid character capable of smoothing out Luigi's rough edges. Acting is good, with Maddern the stand out performer, and how nice to hear good quality Harmonica as part of a musical score. 6/10