Street of Shadows, also known as Shadow Man, is a 1953 British film noir written and directed by Richard Vernon and starring Cesar Romero, Kay Kendall and Edward Underdown.[1] It is based on the 1951 novel The Creaking Chair by Laurence Meynell.
Plot
Luigi, 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
- 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
It 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
The 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
- ^ "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
- Street of Shadows at BritMovie (archived)
- Street of Shadows at IMDb
- Street of Shadows then-and-now location photographs at ReelStreets
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