The Secret Man

Amazingly no review yet has noticed who wrote the screenplay. Brian Clemens was a veteran writer in this genre who later created The Avengers and the Professionals deservedly received considerable credit for these and many many other TV and cinema productions. And this film too is more inventive, more interesting and better written than the hundreds of other budget British B&W films of the era featuring a budget US star. It is a mistake to rubber stamp it as a quota quickie - it's considerably better than this. Elements from it are to be seen in the James Bonds and another in The Great St Trinians Train Robbery. I cant judge but get the impression that there are genuine authentic elements too. When all are suspect how do you know who to trust?

The budget, cast and direction does not rise above the average but the key parts of the story could be re-made today. The London shooting locations - today for millionaires - were then grimy and bomb-blasted. The weather too was uniformly grey and misty.

A 6.5