Norman Conquest

I bought this film because I'm interested in the British b film era of the 1950s and I didn't believe that I'd ever seen it before. The score by Philip Green (not the retail entrepreneur), and in particular a smug and highly irritating theme which recurs throughout the score, made me realise that I had seen it many years before. I wasn't able to recall a solitary frame of it however. Hardly surprising. Most of the clichés of the era are present: a suave, gentleman detective played by Tom Conway (George Sanders' brother, don't you know) in a particularly smug and irritating manner it has to be said (perhaps Philip Green's music wasn't that wide of the mark after all); sinister foreigners, unreal characters seemingly unshocked by violence and murder, toe curling behaviour from all and sundry. Based on the Norman Conquest (not that one) novels which were written by Berkeley Gray, Gray wrote over 800 of the blighters.

Bizarrely, its director, Bernard Knowles, directed Magical Mystery Tour for the Beatles fourteen years later. I am the walrus this ain't.

All in all Park Plaza 605 can be summarised as mediocre and lifeless rubbish from the golden age of the British second feature. Buy it now from Odeon Entertainment!

A slick tongue-in cheek little Cold War thriller making light of the usual casualties (starting with an unfortunate courier in the opening scene) in which Hollywood's 'B' picture 'Saint' Tom Conway tangles with foxy foreign femme Eva Bartok (in a blonde wig and a tight shiny dress) and various mean-looking goons while cop Sid James looks on in helpless exasperation.

PI Tom Conway gets mixed up with some spy stuff involving Eva Bartok and Richard Wattis.

It's a cheap, dull affair, with an aging Conway irresistible to the ladies, and done as cheaply as possible. Tom slugs a number of men with guns, undercranked car rides go on for a minute at a time, and there's an organ score by Philip Green consisting of two bars of music repeated every now and again. Miss Bartok looks like she's fourteen years old, dressed in her mother's evening gown. His regular girlfriend, Joy Shelton, is named Pixie, but Conway always calls her 'sweetheart', like he's Bogart with an English accent. The editing is atrocious.

Sid James appears as the police detective who's perpetually exasperated by Conway. I know how he feels. By the time everything was cleared up, I didn't care.

Norman Conquest" from 1953, is a suspenseful mystery-thriller that cleverly intertwines elements of noir, intrigue, a bit of comedy sprinkled here and there, and a strong character-driven narrative. Directed by Bernard Knowles, it all involves a secret message about a meeting in room 605 of the Park Plaza Hotel, intercepted by a curious private detective (Tom Conway), who escapes with his life but is framed for a murder. He proceeds to uncover a jewel-smuggling scheme involving a beautiful woman (Eva Bartok) and a fugitive Nazi war criminal. The film is a tightly crafted, atmospheric gem with enough twists and turns to keep viewers hooked despite the complexity of the plot. But this is a film noir-ish effort from the 50's, so that should be expected. Director Knowles worked as cinematographer for several of Alfred Hitchcock's earliest movies, and Eva Bartok alone is easily worth the price of admission. What are you waiting for? This movie is also known by the title "Park Plaza 505."

This review is of the US release of the film, under the title NORMAN CONQUEST. One of the many interesting UK pick-ups released by the fading Lippert Pictures in the early 50s to pad its schedule, this mystery should satisfy any fan of B-movie mysteries. Star Tom Conway made a big impression as the Falcon on film and Sherlock Holmes on radio (taking over from Basil Rathbone), and his charm and wit and style pretty much make any film he is in worth watching. The Conquest character--evidently well-known in the UK as there is no attempt to "introduce" his character in the film--has elements of Boston Blackie and the Thin Man and The Shadow (the interplay with his jealous fiancee is very Shadow-like)and Ellery Queen. He is a financially stable dabbler in detection and has a nemesis within the police force who always seeks to get him out of the way. This film should get some kind of record as the mystery begins in an outrageous manner within the first ten seconds of the film! I couldn't believe it, but you have to take films like this one with a LOT of willing suspension of disbelief, and if you go along for the ride, it's quite a bit of fun. There's still one thing I'm not sure about, though. In the scene where Conway spanks Eva Bartok, what is that little clown-like figure in the corner of the room? It's only seen once and never explained. I rewound the tape to watch the scene a few times to make sure I wasn't hallucinating. What's going on here? In conclusion, a solid little mystery here, and one of Tom Conway's last starring roles.