Which Is Your Favourite British Crime Thriller?

[Wilfried Mueller]

I am always looking for classic britsh crimes, thrillers up to the early 60's. I like films like THE BLUE LAMP or the Margaret Rutherford Miss Marples. I like films which are set in London in old days.



So, please, let me know your favourite british classics. Maybe on this way I am able to find new "fav's" for me?

[Johnjackgilbert]

Of course my favourite is "Rome Express" (1932), which has its own thread on here, and there are the 1930s Hichcock films - "The Lady Vanishes" et al - which are often mentioned too.



BUT, I would like to point you towards:



"Gaslight" (Thorold Dickinson, 1939) starring Anton Walbrook and Diana Winyard. Walbrook plays the sadistic and obsessive Paul Mallen who is slowly driving his wife, Bella, insane in order to have her committed to an asylum. But, a retired Policeman named Rough (Frank Pettingell - helped by Jimmy Hanley), recognises Mallen as deranged criminal Louis Bauer and sets out to uncover the truth...



"Brighton Rock" (John Boulting, 1947) starring Richard Attenborough, not actually London because it is set in Brighton. It is a fabulous film - William Hartnell (Billy!), Hermione Baddeley turn up too. It is rather dated, in a good way, and the acting is superb! Very atmospheric and chilling. Attenborough plays Pinky, a ruthless and sadistic young criminal - a murderer who marries the only witness to his crime - who's cold manipulation almost succeeds - but double-crossers and revenge get him into further trouble as the police close in...



On a totally different note there is "Ask a Policeman" starring Will Hay, the great Moore Marriott and Graham Moffatt involving smugglers. Not quite a crime thriller (and again not set in London), but a good film



There are many more...

[tonewheel]

Mr.Denning drives North with John mills, it's SUPERB & Jigsaw with Jack Warner A brilliant crime thriller.They just don't make em like that anymore sorry to say

[samkydd]

(Wilfried Mueller @ Jan 20 2006, 10:29 AM)

I am always looking for classic britsh crimes, thrillers up to the early 60's. I like films like THE BLUE LAMP or the Margaret Rutherford Miss Marples. I like films which are set in London in old days.



So, please, let me know your favourite british classics. Maybe on this way I am able to find new "fav's" for me?

I've just seen an old Ealing one, which is set in post war Bethnall Green in London "It Always Rains on Saturday". It paints a depressing picture of working class and low life in the barren streets of this bustling borough, and although not a crime thriller in the true meaning of the genre, it concerns an escaped convict from Dartmoor, played by John MaCallum, who returns to his old neighbourhood and seeks out his former lover, play by Googie Withers, who is now married with a family. Other characters are petty crooks two of which are played by Alfie Bass and Jimmy Hanley, Jack Warner is the local CID man, and two local entrepreneur brothers played by John Slater and Sydney Tafler. A very dark film which captures the period like no other, but a joy to watch if you or your parents came from that era, and lived in those two up and two down terraced houses in inner cities.



Other greats I've seen for the first time recently are "Robbery" from the late 1960s with an excellent cast including Stanley Baker and Barry Foster. Well recommended.



Good comedy 1950s crime capers I've seen last year was the boxed set of "Two Many Crooks" , "Make Mine Mink" plus "The Naked Truth" all starring Terry Thomas with some excellent famous supporting cast.

[Merton Park]

(samkydd @ Jan 20 2006, 08:54 PM)

I've just seen an old Ealing one, which is set in post war Bethnall Green in London "It Always Rains on Saturday". It paints a depressing picture of working class and low life in the barren streets of this bustling borough, and although not a crime thriller in the true meaning of the genre, it concerns an escaped convict from Dartmoor, played by John MaCallum, who returns to his old neighbourhood and seeks out his former lover, play by Googie Withers, who is now married with a family. Other characters are petty crooks two of which are played by Alfie Bass and Jimmy Hanley, Jack Warner is the local CID man, and two local entrepreneur brothers played by John Slater and Sydney Tafler. A very dark film which captures the period like no other, but a joy to watch if you or your parents came from that era, and lived in those two up and two down terraced houses in inner cities.



Other greats I've seen for the first time recently are "Robbery" from the late 1960s with an excellent cast including Stanley Baker and Barry Foster. Well recommended.



Good comedy 1950s crime capers I've seen last year was the boxed set of "Two Many Crooks" , "Make Mine Mink" plus "The Naked Truth" all starring Terry Thomas with some excellent famous supporting cast.

The last three definitelyamong my favourites. I am sure Danny de Vito and Bette Midler stole Too Many Crooks to make Ruthless People and didn't have the courtesy to acknowledge the original.

[DB7]

They Drive by Night. Just love the Hitchcockian innocent on the run storyline and the atmosphere of old truckers cafe's.

[Steve Crook]

(samkydd @ Jan 20 2006, 08:54 PM)

I've just seen an old Ealing one, which is set in post war Bethnall Green in London "It Always Rains on Saturday".

Wasn't it Sunday when it always rained for Googie?



Great film.



Steve

[samkydd]

(Steve Crook @ Jan 20 2006, 10:30 PM)

Wasn't it Sunday when it always rained for Googie?



Great film.



Steve

I made a mistake, I should have said "It Always Rains On Sunday" not "Saturday" (just sub-consciously anticipating the weather this Saturday when we're out cliff walking) and I forgot to mention that JM and GW married each other in real life and went out to Australia, and are both still alive!

(Merton Park @ Jan 20 2006, 09:41 PM)

The last three definitelyamong my favourites. I am sure Danny de Vito and Bette Midler stole Too Many Crooks to make Ruthless People and didn't have the courtesy to acknowledge the original.

Brenda De Banzie stole the show in "Too Many Crooks" as she did in "Hobson's Choice"

(tonewheel @ Jan 20 2006, 08:49 PM)

Mr.Denning drives North with John mills, it's SUPERB & Jigsaw with Jack Warner A brilliant crime thriller.They just don't make em like that anymore sorry to say

I also forgot to mention "Mr Denning Drives North", which is probably my favourite film, but I've only ever seen it once and that was when I watched it on TV in about 1970 something when I was a young teenager! Hopefully I'll see it again one day and find it just as enjoyable as 30 years ago!

[mysteriesofedgarwallace]

Here are some of my favourite favourites:-



The Last Page (1952)

The Bank Raiders (1958)

The Shakedown (1959)

The Challenge (1960)

The Criminal (1960)

Never Let Go (1960)

Payroll (1961)

Jigsaw (1962)

Seven Keys (1962)

Calculated Risk (1963)



And I'm not even including EDGAR WALLACE or SCOTLAND YARD.

[David Brent]

The League Of Gentlemen (1959) is one of my most favourite.

A stellar cast that includes Jack Hawkins, Roger Livesey, Nigel Patrick, Richard Attenborough ect..

No matter how mant times you view this one it never loses it's excitement.

A true classic.



Dave.

[nellybly]

(David Brent @ Jan 20 2006, 09:44 PM)

The League Of Gentlemen (1959) is one of my most favourite.

A stellar cast that includes Jack Hawkins, Roger Livesey, Nigel Patrick, Richard Attenborough ect..

No matter how mant times you view this one it never loses it's excitement.

A true classic.



Dave.

While I was looking over the list and getting new favs of my own, I recalled an Alistair Sim movie called "Green For Danger" (1946). I watched it over and over again when I was growing up. Alistair Sim is one of my favs. I liked anything he was in. He was one of the best scene-stealers ever to come out of the UK. He can make a movie watchable. "Green for Danger" drags now and again but when he comes on the screen the dragging is over.



When I initially posted this, it ended at "favs". My computer is slow as molasses in January (oh, yes, this is January). I didn't even feel like spelling out favorites.



I'm going to try and get a copy of "Green for Danger". I may even try Alpha videos. <gag> Now that's desperation. LOL Hint: has to be NTSC. Not my fault North America has to be different. It didn't really matter until the video age.

[Merton Park]

Here are a few, not yet mentioned.



They Made Me A Fugitive with Trevor Howard! is exceptional and a truly forgotten gem. Doing the rounds on Matinee Movies channel 336 on Sky, watch out for it.



Hell Is A City- Stanley Baker, terrific.



Night and The City-outstanding



Eight O'Clock Walk-very good



The Good Die Young



Frightened City



Cannot believe someone else also picked The Shakedown, The Criminal, Payroll and Never Let Go. Four of my all time favourites!

[Harbottle]

I always go a complete blank when I try and think of suggestions to these type of questions.... then again maybe I just always go blank anyway Anyway I finally came up with a couple of suggestions, most of the best ones have already been mentioned but a couple of enjoyable ones in my view are Gideon's Day and The Long Arm both starring the always excellent Jack Hawkins Wish they would come out on DVD

[Merton Park]

To Harbottle:



The Long Arm & Gideon's day both outstanding films. Having posted earlier, I went out and started thinking about both of these. The first is out on VHS, I bought it for my son and he thought it was brilliant, didn't see it on DVD.

[Merton Park]

A couple more spring tp mind:



The Informers



The Vicious Circle

[mysteriesofedgarwallace]

(Merton Park @ Jan 23 2006, 05:46 PM)

A couple more spring tp mind:



The Informers



The Vicious Circle

Excellent choices.

[mysteriesofedgarwallace]

A few more:-



The Small World of Sammy Lee

The Counterfeit Plan

The Great Van Robbery

Cat and Mouse

[mysteriesofedgarwallace]

(Merton Park @ Jan 23 2006, 07:40 AM)

SNIP

Cannot believe someone else also picked The Shakedown, The Criminal, Payroll and Never Let Go. Four of my all time favourites!

We are obviously men of taste

[arty-dave]

(Wilfried Mueller @ Jan 20 2006, 10:29 AM) I like films which are set in London in old days.

Me too - particularly if it's raining or, better still, foggy

[arty-dave]

(Lady Lois @ Jan 20 2006, 01:18 PM) "Ask a Policeman" starring Will Hay, the great Moore Marriott and Graham Moffatt involving smugglers.

A perennial favourite, here at A-D Towers