The House Of Blackmail [DVD]

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The script is clever and witty, and we loved most of the movie, although the suspense lagged a bit towards the end. It's a tongue-in-cheek affair, which we thought worked well, except for a Bugsy Malone style performance from American Reed DeRouen. Not so action packed as some gangster movies, some shooting and killing but not gory or blood thirsty, just good old fashion movie. William Sylvester, best known later for playing Dr Heywood Floyd in 2001: A Space Odyssey, stars in one of his first roles opposite Mary Germaine in this crime drama about two people attempting to solve the murder of a blackmailer. Even so, the sound stellar portrayals, coupled with the 'twist' ending, give it the benefit of any doubts.

An Army officer (William Sylvester) and Carol (Mary Germaine) must solve the murder of a blackmailer or be charged themselves. Peter Bull is his usual impressive self as the upper crust and sneering member of a six-man crime ring, who are the victims of an unknown mole who is helping the police with their enquiries in a very entertaining way. After some sparring from Jimmy, Carol agrees to pay the money, but is unable to withdraw it from her bank until morning.Images submitted must be in Landscape orientation, as would be seen on the cinema screen, not Portrait. Cinema Paradiso and all other Cinema Paradiso product and service names are trademarks of Pace-e-Solutions Limited or its affiliates. American William Sylvester is ebullient as Jimmy and, with his mid-Atlantic accent, could well have made an excellent Saint.

opens well, but as soon as it moves to Markham’s mansion its action becomes a trifle stilted, Mary Germaine, as Carol, displays good looks and obvious acting ability, and William Sylvester, although a little too sure of himself, registers as Jimmy, but the rest are a very mixed bag. The plotline's not bad; a mild mannered embezzler becomes implicated in his girlfriend's murder and takes refuge in a boarding house, where he is pursued by gangsters, including John LeMesurier, who is wasted in this movie, although overall the cast are good. As usual, Alexander Gauge is wonderfully erudite as the disreputable Markham, another of his reasonable-criminal roles, while the British actor John Arnatt displays a convincing American accent as the man who takes charge. This proves to be a ride he'll never forget, when the blackmailer is killed by high-tension wires and the rider is accused of the crime.The story concerns a traveller who finds himself accused of murder after he receives a ride from a person who kills an extortionist. The print is reasonable, despite some scratching and the occasional bleaching that seems to be a feature of Renown releases. The plot grows increasingly strained as it strives to keep us guessing just who amongst a number of shady characters has knocked off the blackmailer, and eventually falls across the line.