Echo of Diana ** (1963, Vincent Ball, Betty McDowall) – Classic Movie Review 12,899

Betty McDowall (1924–1993).

Director Ernest Morris’s 1963 British Butcher’s Film Services black and white B-movie thriller film Echo of Diana stars Vincent Ball, Betty McDowall and Geoffrey Toone. The fairly ingenious story and screenplay are by Reginald Hearne.

Two pleasant, friendly long-time resident Aussies in Britain, Ball and McDowall, enliven this plain, brisk, very short little 1960s crime support feature about an Australian newspaper journalist called Bill Vernon (Ball) probing the mysterious circumstances of the death of the husband of a woman named Joan Scott (McDowall), and discovering that the murder is linked to a nest of spies.

Echo of Diana is fast moving if highly unlikely so it is hard to suspend disbelief. However, this short and tolerable filler thriller is unfussy and unpretentious, with likeable, spirited performances from the welcome, stalwart B-movie cast.

Betty McDowall as Joan Scott.

The cast are Vincent Ball as Bill Vernon, Betty McDowall as Joan Scott, Geoffrey Toone as Colonel Justin, Clare Owen as Pam Jennings, Peter Illing as Kovali, Raymond Adamson as George, Marianne Stone as Miss Green, Anthony Baird as Barman, Michael Balfour as Newsagent, Basil Beale as Harris, Richard Caldicot as Fisher, Leon Cortez, Arthur English as Punter in betting shop, Tom Gill, Denis Holmes, Patsi Karr, Colin Rix, Joy Stewart, Geoffrey Toone. and Dermot Walsh.

Echo of Diana is directed by Ernest Morris, runs 61 minutes, is made by Butcher’s Film Services, is released by Butcher’s Film Distributors, is written by Reginald Hearne (story and screenplay), is shot in black and white by Walter J Harvey, is produced by John I Phillips and Ronald Liles (associate producer), is scored by Martin Slavin, with Art Direction by Elliot Scott.

Australian actor Vincent Ball turned 100 on 4 December 1923.

Australian stage, film and TV actress Betty McDowall was born in Sydney, New South Wales, on 14 August 1924 and died on 31 December 1993.

© Derek Winnert 2024 – Classic Movie Review 12,899

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