Street of Shadows, also known as Shadow Man, is a 1953 British film noir written and directed by Richard Vernon and starring Cesar Romero, Victor Maddern, Kay Kendall and Edward Underdown.[1] It is based on the 1951 novel The Creaking Chair by Laurence Meynell.
| Street of Shadows | |
|---|---|
 US theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Richard Vernon |
| Written by | Richard Vernon |
| Based on | The Creaking Chair by Laurence Meynell |
| Produced by | William Nassour William H. Williams executive Nat Cohen Stuart Levy |
| Starring | Cesar Romero Kay Kendall Victor Maddern Simone Silva |
| Cinematography | Phil Grindrod |
| Edited by | Geoffrey Muller |
| Music by | Eric Spear |
Production companies | William Nassour Productions Merton Park Studios |
| Distributed by | Anglo-Amalgamated Film Distributors |
Release date |
|
Running time | 84 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Plot
editLuigi, the owner of a Soho pin table saloon, is romancing an unhappily married socialite, Barbara Gale. He is accused of the murder of his former girlfriend Angela, who was found stabbed in his apartment. He evades the police and asks his friend Limpy for help, but Limpy is revealed to be Angela's killer.
Cast
edit- Cesar Romero as Luigi
- Kay Kendall as Barbara Gale
- Edward Underdown as Det. Insp. Johnstone
- Victor Maddern as Limpy
- Bill Travers as Nigel Langley
- Simone Silva as Angela Abbe
- Liam Gaffney as Constable Fred Roberts
- Robert Cawdron as Det. Sgt. Hadley
- John Penrose as Gerald Gale
- Molly Hamley-Clifford as "Starry" Darrell
- Eileen Way as Mrs. Thoms
- Paul Hardtmuth as J.M. Mayall
- Tony Sympson as Nikki
- Rose McLaren as Rose
- Michael Kelly as Merchant Seaman West
- Fred Griffiths as cab driver
- Harry Purvis as Darrell
- Lionel King as cardsharp
Production
editIt was shot at the Merton Park Studios in London and on location in the city's West End. The film's sets were designed by the art director George Haslam. It was an early production of Anglo-Amalgamated who had signed a deal with Lippert Pictures who distributed the film in the United States. While much of the company's output at the time were second features, this was a more expensive film aimed at the first feature market.[2]
Critical reception
editThe Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "A conventional thriller. The sound track is somewhat enlivened by Tommy Reilly's harmonica solos, particularly 'The Limping Man', which seems destined to share the fate of the 'Harry Lime Theme'."[3]
References
edit- ^ "Street of Shadows". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
- ^ Chibnall, Steve; McFarlane, Brian (2009). The British 'B' Film. London: BFI/Bloomsbury. p. 98. ISBN 978-1-8445-7319-6.
- ^ "Street of Shadows". The Monthly Film Bulletin. 20 (228): 76. 1 January 1953 – via ProQuest.
External links
edit- Street of Shadows at BritMovie (archived)
- Street of Shadows at IMDb
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