Harrison's Reports (1961)

42 HARRISON'S REPORTS March 18, 1961 "The Secret Partner" with Stewart Granger, Haya Harareet and Bernard Lee (M-G-M, March; time, 91 win.) Good. A suspense-charged, above average mys' tery programmer from England which opens too slowly, but gathers speed as it moves towards its surprise ending. Stewart Granger, the only marquee aid in the black-and-white drama, portrays a London shipping executive with marital problems, who while being blackmailed by a dentist, becomes the prime suspect of the 130,000-pound robbery of his firm's office safe. Fine character delineations are offered by Norman Bird, the unscrupulous dentist; Bernard Lee, the Superintendent of Detectives, and Hugh Burden, Granger's superior. Direction is crisp; photography first-rate: — Stewart Granger is the junior partner, Hugh Burden, his senior, in the prosperous London-based shipping subsidiary of a giant U.S. firm. There is 130,000 pounds in the office safe. Peter Illing, the parent company's controller, is arriving from the States. Granger wants to change the site of a cocktail party they're planning for Illing. It is set for Granger's flat, but his wife, Haya Harareet, won't be there, since they've quarreled. It's too late to alter the party plans. Granger explains to Illing that his wife is visiting Paris, only to have Haya show up — she'd left a farewell note — to get her clothes. At the affair is Burden's catty, blond wife, Melissa Stribling. Granger asks a close friend of Haya and his, about his wife's actions. The friend, Conrad Phillips, a physician, says that Haya thinks the large amount of money Granger has been spending lately has been on another woman. Granger denies this. After the party, a drink-dazed man, Norman Bird, calls on Granger. Bird, a dentist, turns out to be a blackmailer, who has been bleeding Granger. On his arrival home, Bird is accosted by an armed masked man, who says he knows all about the dentist's blackmailing Granger, threatens to notify the police if Bird won't join him in a plan to rob the shipping company's safe. Bird agrees, and the stranger leaves — in a car driven by Haya. When Granger scrapes together the necessary money, he visits Bird, who while Granger is under anaesthetic — he also works on his teeth — takes impressions of the executive's keys and, using a truth drug, learns the safe's combination. The night before Granger leaves London for a holiday, the safe is robbed. Bernard Lee, the cautious veteran detective superintendent, has to conclude that Granger's the thief. Lee's assistant, Lee Montague, is positive of Granger's guilt. Granger, returned to London, denies the theft. Clay had been left by Bird on Granger's keys which he had left with Burden. Granger, while being questioned, escapes from the police. Later, he calls them to Bird's office, where, the dentist, with a pistol at his head, tells all. Lee has to accept Bird's confession, but still doesn't know where the money is, or know the identity of the stranger. Granger is allowed to go, but suspicion stays in Lee's mind. He knows that Granger has purchased expensive jewelry for Haya since the pair apparently separated. We learn that Bird was the dentist in a prison where Granger served time for embezzling. When Bird saw Granger in London, he knew the man would pay to keep his past a secret. Suspicion falls on Conrad, who is in love with Haya. It turns out that Granger mas terminded the entire theft. Meanwhile, his accomplice, Haya, has decided she's had enough of his schemes. Realizing he robbed only for her, Granger returns the money to the wily Lee, who, about to retire, allows the shipping executive to go free. Michael Relph produced. Basil Dearden directed from a screenplay by David Pursall and Jack Seddon. Unobjectionable for all. "Operation Bottleneck" with Miiko Taka, Ron Foster and Norman Aiden (United Artists, March; time, 78 min.) Fair. Inexpensively-made and bolstered by some war footage from library stock, this entry tries to be a bit offbeat in subject matter and treatment, but it emerges as just another wartime melodrama — with an unhappy ending and some action for the lower half of the double bill. The yarn, having to do with G.I.'s parachuting behind enemy lines to disrupt their transportation, is only moderately interesting while performances, direction and production are only fair. The black and white photography is adequate:— During World War II a seven-man volunteer party of paratroopers led by Lt. Ron Foster jumps behind Japanese positions in Burma to blow up supply roads. In the jump, Foster injures his leg and is captured. He is comforted by Miiko Taka, one of the "sin" girls kept to entertain the Japs and she plans to escape with him. Meanwhile two of the others, Norman Alden and John Clarke make contact with hidden British patriot Ben Wright, who promises to send out radio messages over his transmitter. They try to rescue Foster and in the melee, Clarke and three other soldiers die. Foster, Miiko and some of the others escape into the jungle. The Japs catch up with Wright and kill him and his servant. Meanwhile Foster and Alden help train the escaped girl to take the place of the dead soldiers. They harass the Japs, who kill all except Norman Alden. An important section of road has been demolished, making Jap tactics most difficult. Produced by Robert E. Kent and directed by Edward L. Cohen from Orville H. Hampton's screenplay. General patronage. "The Canadians" with Robert Ryan, John Dehner and Torin Thatcher (20th Century Fox, current; time 85 min.) Fair. The scenic beauty of Canada is impressively captured by CinemaScope lenses and by the color by DeLuxe, but the story of how the Royal Canadian Mounted Police bring law and order to the country and force savage Indians to remain peaceful is only moderately interesting. A bit more action and a little less conversation would have added to the value of the British-made entry. Robert Ryan is good as the police inspector sent out with two men, sergeant Torin Thatcher and rookie constable Burt Metcalfe, to enforce the good behavior of the thousands of Sioux who have run to Canada for refuge, after killing General Custer and his men at the Little Big Horn. The direction has merit; the production values are good; and the acting is capable. The story is based on a century-old incident involving the Mounties. The programmer is suitable as a supporting feature.