User reviews

Available to rent and view using bfi movie player, enjoyable film, the on camera chemistry between Barry K Barnes and Diana Churchill lovely to see (married in real life), I can't add more to film description that other reviews have written, not a masterpiece but well worth seeing if a fan of British film of this genre.

The ingredients of turn-of-WW2, black-and-white, espionage, (cockney) banter, semi-comedic, etc., often implied the great 1930s-40s British films of Alfred Hitchcock, such as The 39 Steps, The Lady Vanishes, Sabotage, The Man Who Knew Too Much, etc. Disappointingly, if not that surprisingly, director David Macdonald's 1940 'b' movie does not live up to such expectations as Barry K Barnes' adroit lawyer, Larry Preston, attempts to infiltrate a 'foreign' criminal gang by feigning to be their accomplice. MacDonald's film is clearly a low budget affair (makeshift sets, concise running time and one or two hammy acting turns) with largely hit-or-miss comedy, albeit with one or two solid acting turns. In fact, one of my main reasons for watching MacDonald's film was the casting of the great Alastair Sim as Preston's partner lawyer, whose role here as Samuel Blight, despite some nice scenes as Blight attempts to 'seduce' a seemingly well-to-do client, is somewhat perfunctory.

Barnes, cast alongside his then glamorous wife, Diana Churchill, as Janet, make for a solidly convincing (not Cary Grant - Rosalind Russell, obviously!) and endearing couple, whilst Edward Chapman (who was cast in the early Hitch, Juno and the Paycock) is impressive as the officious, blustering Inspector Bray, whose (verbal) jousting with Preston is a film highlight. As is to be expected with a 'b' film from this era, the stereotyping of goodies vs. Baddies is way too obvious even if the likes of Austin Trevor and Leo Genn turn in convincing performances in their attempts to influence the tide of the imminent war.

Indeed, the 'eve of war' setting, as both Preston and Blight get their papers to enlist, makes for quite an interesting denouement, the pair being latterly bedecked in military uniform.

I will post a review for each film I have seen that is so far without one... This was shown at the NFT in London (UK) April 10th 2012, brief review follows... This has Barry K Barnes as a young lawyer, who exasperates his senior partner A.Sim by acting for enemy spies and getting them cleared on technicalities, his motive is to infiltrate the gang and get the head man, its quick competent, watchable and of course it has A.Sim always a delight. The Director is the undervalued David MacDonald who was active from the late 30's to early 60's, his most fun film being DEVIL GIRLS FROM MARS (1954) a rare example of a 50's British sci-fi film, and as with LAW AND DISORDER, not to be taken seriously. Alastair Sim was a great talent he was in films for 40 years from the mid 30's his best work being SCROOGE (1951); both of them were Scottish they worked together on two other films THIS MAN IS NEWS (1938) & THIS MAN IN Paris (1940), along with B.K.Barnes (English). To sum up if you get the chance this is no masterpiece, but is worth 75m of any fan of old British films, enjoy!