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The Delavine Affair

  • 1955
  • 1h 4m
IMDb RATING
5.5/10
196
YOUR RATING
Honor Blackman, Gordon Jackson, and Peter Reynolds in The Delavine Affair (1955)
CrimeDrama

A man's death leads a local newspaperman and the man's girlfriend to seek the killer.A man's death leads a local newspaperman and the man's girlfriend to seek the killer.A man's death leads a local newspaperman and the man's girlfriend to seek the killer.

  • Director
    • Douglas Peirce
  • Writers
    • George Fisher
    • Robert H. Chapman
    • Basil Boothroyd
  • Stars
    • Peter Reynolds
    • Honor Blackman
    • Gordon Jackson
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    5.5/10
    196
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Douglas Peirce
    • Writers
      • George Fisher
      • Robert H. Chapman
      • Basil Boothroyd
    • Stars
      • Peter Reynolds
      • Honor Blackman
      • Gordon Jackson
    • 11User reviews
    • 4Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos27

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    Top cast18

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    Peter Reynolds
    Peter Reynolds
    • Rex Banner
    Honor Blackman
    Honor Blackman
    • Maxine Banner
    Gordon Jackson
    Gordon Jackson
    • Florian
    Valerie Vernon
    Valerie Vernon
    • Lola
    Michael Balfour
    Michael Balfour
    • Sammy
    Peter Neil
    • Inspector Johnson
    Laurie Main
    Laurie Main
    • Summit
    Peter Swanwick
    Peter Swanwick
    • Meyerling
    • (as Peter Swannick)
    Katie Johnson
    Katie Johnson
    • Mrs. Bissett
    Mark Daly
    Mark Daly
    • Mr. Bissett
    Anna Turner
    Anna Turner
    • Mrs. Halloran
    Mae Bacon
    • Fanny
    • (as Mai Bacon)
    Hal Osmond
    Hal Osmond
    • Old Man
    Vernon Kelso
    • Macgregor
    Christie Humphrey
    • Maid
    Victor Harrington
    Victor Harrington
    • Man In Grapes Pub
    • (uncredited)
    George Roderick
    George Roderick
    • Desk Sergeant
    • (uncredited)
    John H. Watson
    • Detective Sergeant
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Douglas Peirce
    • Writers
      • George Fisher
      • Robert H. Chapman
      • Basil Boothroyd
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews11

    5.5196
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    Featured reviews

    4malcolmgsw

    3 Actors who will go onto better things

    I suppose the only notable thing about this thriller is members of the cast who would go on to better things.Katie Johnson would go on to win a BAFTA for her part in "The Ladykillers".Gordon Jackson would find fame as the butler in "Upstairs Downstairs" on television and Honor Blackman would of course find fame in both "The Avengers" on television and Pussy Galore in a Bond film.Here they are just marking time in an amiable but rather involved thriller which was beloved of writers of crime fiction in the 1950sIt was the sort of film where it is quite easy to work out by a process of elimination who is the killer.It is the sort of film that would be executed far more effectively on television which would of course eventually cause the death of films of this genre at least as B features.
    6Leofwine_draca

    Fine British B-movie

    A snappy little British thriller with plenty of stuff to enjoy, THE DELAVINE AFFAIR is yet another film churned out at Nettlefold Studios, with an interesting cast and a plot that never lets up. It's a film that packs plenty of twists and turns into the 64-minute running time, with an erstwhile reporter hero and a sinister villain. The lead character is played by Peter Reynolds, in a welcome departure from his typical performances as cads and bounders. Reynolds brings a cheeky charm to the role of a reporter willing to do anything for a scoop, and the opening sequence - in which he literally stumbles upon the body of an old acquaintance - is great stuff.

    The story goes on from there, taking time to feature the lovely Honor Blackman in a significant role as the reporter's wife, and Gordon Jackson as a friend of the family. Valerie Vernon plays an arresting femme fatale and wears some ahead-of-the-time gear. The reliable Michael Balfour (ALBERT, R.N.) plays in support as Reynolds's photographer buddy, and sharp-eyed viewers will spot LADYKILLERS actress Katie Johnson in a minor part. THE DELAVINE AFFAIR is a fine example of the British B-movie, a well-paced and entertaining slice of escapism.
    6boblipton

    Tightly Plotted

    It starts with a murder, but soon news service man Peter Reynolds is on the track of an old jewelry heist, along with wife Honor Blackman in this tightly plotted second feature.

    The most notable thing about this short British feature is that there seems to be nothing in it that doesn't lead inevitably to the matter at hand. The other is a rare appearance by Katie Johnson -- best remembered as the old lady later that year in the classic Ealing comedy THE LADYKILLERS. She won a BAFTA as Best Actress for that role. Born in 1878, Miss Price was on the stage by 1894, where she continued to perform at least until 1935. Her first screen role was in 1932, but she was cast almost exclusively in uncredited small roles for the first fifteen years. Then she had a marvelous 1955, made one more movie in 1957, and died that year.
    7Tony-Holmes

    As British B features go, this is OK!

    Just saw this on Talking Pictures channel (UK, old films and TV), and the critical reviews on here are rather unfair. Bear in mind what this was, a B feature, just over an hour long, and a small budget!

    It tells a perfectly reasonable little story, though the time confines don't allow many choices for the actual villain?! The plot is worked out quite well, and you need to make allowances for how things were in the early 50s, but that shouldn't be so tricky.

    One glaring plot error (?) has been mentioned, re taking a flash photo through a window, but then for decades we've seen press snappers taking an attempted pic through the windows of vans taking prisoners to and from courts -- don't they know better too??!!

    And it was nice to see Blackman & Jackson taking their next steps up the acting ladder.
    7new_market41

    However did 1950s police manage without the help of amateur sleuths?

    Rex Banner, played by Peter Reynolds, is the proprietor of a news agency and having an eye for a good story, becomes an amateur sleuth to find out who murdered his friend Gospel Joe and as a consequence, who was responsible for the theft of the Delavine diamonds sometime earlier. Joe had information about the theft and had asked to see Rex but just as Rex finds his friends body the police arrive and he is initially treated as a suspect.

    I found this film quite entertaining for a mid-1950s second feature with interesting characters, good acting, decent plot and a dash of humour. Peter Reynolds, who was often condemned to playing shifty villains in British films, is able and smooth in the role of detective, keeping several steps ahead of the clueless police. I have to say that any film with Honor Blackman, playing his delicious wife, will automatically get my vote. Bit-part spotters will be pleased to see two of Britain's most prolific here. Firstly Michael Balfour reprises for the umpteenth time the hero's sidekick, helping out with a spot of research for Rex and being on hand at the finale. Then the unsung Hal Osmond lifts an otherwise routine scene with a colourful cameo as the 'old man' with the cough. In my opinion THE DELAVINE AFFAIR is a slightly above average film for the genre.

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    Related interests

    James Gandolfini, Edie Falco, Sharon Angela, Max Casella, Dan Grimaldi, Joe Perrino, Donna Pescow, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Tony Sirico, and Michael Drayer in The Sopranos (1999)
    Crime
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    Drama

    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Trivia
      Sammy drives along Edith Grove in Chelsea, London to meet Rex. As he does so, he passes the house with the flat that was to be the home of Brian Jones, Keith Richards and Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones in 1962 - 1963.

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • January 3, 1955 (United Kingdom)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Murder Is News
    • Filming locations
      • Nettlefold Studios, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, England, UK(studio: produced at Nettlefold Studios)
    • Production company
      • Croydon-Passmore
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

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    • Runtime
      • 1h 4m(64 min)
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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