A Man on the Beach ** (1956, Donald Wolfit, Michael Medwin, Michael Ripper) – Classic Movie Review 9803

Director Joseph Losey’s 1956 A Man on the Beach is an intriguing and fair but slightly thin 29-minute Hammer Films crime thriller short feature about a reclusive blind doctor (Donald Wolfit) who encounters a career criminal (Michael Medwin) on the run after robbing a French Mediterranean casino dragged-up and disguised as a woman.

It is worth a look for Losey fans for its eerie atmosphere, Eastmancolor photography (Wilkie Cooper) and its fine cast. Wolfit gives a very reliable performance and Medwin is good too. Edward Forsyth plays the inspector on the case, and Michael Ripper is Medwin’s chauffeur and partner in crime. Alex de Gallier, Barry Shawzin and Corine Grey are also in the cast.

Jimmy Sangster writes the script from Victor Canning’s story, Chance at the Wheel.

It is produced by Anthony Hinds. It is Jimmy Sangster’s first script,

Next, Sangster was then asked to write X the Unknown but said: ‘I’m not a writer, I’m a production manager.’ Hammer Films responded: ‘Well, you come up with a couple of ideas and if we like it, we’ll pay you. If we don’t like it, we won’t pay you. You’re being paid as a production manager, so you can’t complain.’

RIP Michael Medwin, who died on 26 February 2020, aged 96.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 9803

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