The Case of the Red Monkey

The usual brilliant scientist with a Cherman accent is in Great Britain, about to be sent to the US. Scotland Yard thinks it has matters well in hand, but it takes American Richard Conte from the State Department to make things come out right, when he is not romancing Rona Anderson.

It's pretty standard B movie fare, except for the score, which consists of half blaring, sprightly organ music and half overly romantic piano tinkling. There are a trio of spies with East European accents talking about how their plans and executions are flawless -- they aren't --and some sharp photography by Josef Ambor. I found it unengaging.

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.

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.

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.