Doublecross

Although a reasonably low budget film, the story and portrayals are sound. Yes, it's not a blockbuster, but (probably more as an indictment of the present day film industry), it is more enjoyable, believable, and entertaining than many of the fayre currently on offer.

A nice balance of humour and mild suspense, with a good plot and actors - I'd find it difficult to dismiss this film as 'just a B movie'.

A pleasant enough way to waste an hour or so, nice to see sleepy Fowey in the 50's, and the chance to see a very interesting cast - early performances from Kenneth Cope, Robert Shaw and as usual William Hartnell adds some class in the acting department. However the whole affair is doomed from the start by a series of comically appalling "RADA Cornish " accents (Oooh arrgh me 'andsome !) - particularly by Faye Compton as the mum, and Donald Houston himself, who was worthy of much better than this, and a soundtrack that sounds straight from "Ivor the Engine". Hmmm.

As well as his part in the film he gets a credit as.dialect adviser. Lucky he didn't make it his vocation.

Set during the cold war in the 1950s. With Anton Diffring in the cast, maybe it should had been set during the events just before second world war.

Diffring plays Eastern European spy Dmitri Krassin who suddenly needs to get to France with his wife Anna after killing someone.

His British associate Clifford hire Cornish fisherman Albert Pascoe (Donald Houston) to sail them to France. For payment of £100 Albert a salmon poacher and bell ringer thinks it will be a bit of a lark.

However Albert has his suspicions and thinks he might not get out alive. So he leads the trio a merry old dance.

Back in Cornwall, the locals believe that Albert is missing at sea.

This is a creaky spy thriller without many thrills. It is meshed with Ealing style comedy. A local official is on the lookout for salmon poachers. The love story between Albert and Anna is unconvincing.

Well not quite,but up till the last quarter of an hour this is a brisk and entertaining thriller. Unfortunately a really sappy romantic interest weighs down the film like an anchor. Robert Shaw features in a bit part as a policeman.