The Case of the Red Monkey

THE CASE OF THE RED MONKEY, aka LITTLE RED MONKEY, is a fun little mix of murder mystery and spy thriller of the 1950s. This is very much a film of its era, complete with a title and theme tune taken from a popular tune of the era and a Cold War backdrop. When nuclear scientists are being murdered in London, it takes a US special agent in the form of Richard Conte to track down the killer. The addition of the monkey to the plot is a novel and offbeat twist, and there's enough disparate elements from action to romance to spy shenanigans and the like to keep it bubbling away merrily from beginning to end.

Within minutes, one could be forgiven for thinking that the elusive monkey of the title is the director, making a Hitchcock style cameo appearance and for questioning Hollywood stalwart Richard Conte's integrity for signing up to this clunker. Throw in a low budget, lo-fi, occasionally laughable score, which sounds like it was performed by the same outfit responsible for Ed Wood's 'Jailbait' and it quickly appears that this bargain basement yarn about the bumping off of eminent scientists is headed straight for the buffers. A total train wreck of a movie!

When the brainbox behind guided missiles has a stop over in London en route to the U. S. A., despite embarrassing lapses in security and a dismissal of the monkey's existence, the authorities remain calm and bullishly stiff upper lipped. Most people would have gone ape! Visiting State Department agent Conte is given assurances regarding safety, but soon our hero has a harsh reality check. Exasperated by inert British police, hampered and harangued, by probing, all mouth and trousers reporter, Colin Gordon, kidnapped and beaten to a pulp by Russian agents, he still finds time for several stiff drinks and a spot of romance with Rona Anderson, clearly not put off by his extensive bruising and black eye.

Continued viewing spurs a combination of mirth and macabre fascination, until......wait a minute, the momentum picks up, tension mounts and against all expectations a passably noirish thriller emerges, leading to a finale in which the monkey and a midget martian contrive to (almost) steal the show, endorsing the adage; 'Never work with animals or children'.

Richard Conte is to film noir what Joel McCrea, Randolph Scott or Audie Murphy are to the Western: reliable lead without ever attaining superstar status. In this film, as ever, Conte delivers a competent performance well backed up by strong direction from Ken Hughes, and a quiet performance of immense quality by Russell Napier, playing the part of Superintendent Harrington in a typical but highly perceptive British stiff upper lip show.

At stake is the Cold War, espionage and the brain drain from the USSR to the USA, with the action happening on British soil. A monkey keeps appearing at murder scenes but in the end it is not the monkey that is icing the scientists. Pity, I have always wanted to see an animal take shots at human beings with cross hairs to even out the contest a little bit.

Lovely Rona Anderson plays the love interest - perhaps a little too eagerly to seem convincing.

Highly professional cinematography by James Ambor. Fair script by Eastwood and Hughes. I enjoyed it well enough to recommend it.

The Burgess, Maclean and Philby spy drama of the early 1950s inspired Merton Park Studios to produce this cold war'B' drama about a midget Russian spy who controls a red monkey and who with his spy colleagues go about bumping off nuclear scientists in Britain.Actor Russell Napier is upgraded from his Scotland Yard inspector role which he performed in the acclaimed Edgar Lustgarten 1950s TV crime series.

Another user review above has written a detailed synopsis of the plot so I won't repeat it.There is a very catchy tune "The Little Red Monkey" played on the organ which was popular at the time and which accompanies this film.Rhona Anderson who plays Russell Napier's niece threw herself I thought too willingly at Richard Conte, the American State Department agent who is helping British security to transport Livchenko to the U.S.to gain political asylum along with his nuclear secrets.At about one hour duration this 'B' movie keeps the attention of the viewer and I awarded it 6/10.

Around 60 years ago I remember the title number being played on the radio.Lyrics were added and it was sung by Jimmy Edwards.The film is rather less memorable being a fairly routine spy thriller starring an ageing Richard Conte as the parachuted in fading American star for the benefit of the American distributors.The DVD has some interesting trailers and an alternative beginning.This is far longer and much less puncture than the actual beginning.There is an intrepid reporter trying to ferret out a story,ignoring the fact that the government would quash any story with a D notice.Still this film was very topical at the time with the defection of Burgess and MacLean.