Mantrap *** (1953, Paul Henreid, Lois Maxwell, Kieron Moore, Kay Kendall, Bill Travers) – Classic Movie Review 11,136

Terence Fisher’s suspenseful 1953 British crime film Mantrap [Man in Hiding] stars Paul Henreid as a lawyer detective who, helped by his secretary (Kay Kendall), tries to show that a man on the run (Kieron Moore) is not a killer. 

Director Terence Fisher’s effectively made and suspenseful 1953 British black and white mystery crime drama Mantrap [Man in Hiding] stars Paul Henreid as Hugo Bishop, an investigative lawyer detective who, helped by his secretary Vera Gorringe (Kay Kendall), tries to show that Speight (Kieron Moore), an escaped man on the run from prison after being found guilty of murder, is not a killer.

Speight’s frightened wife Thelma (Lois Maxwell) believes he is after her because she is now living with Victor Tasman (Bill Travers) as Thelma Tasman, but Bishop finds Speight and learns he is actually after the real murderer.

There is lively work from the friendly international cast, there for overseas sales no doubt, joining a reliable home team roster of Brit actors in Fisher’s fairly ingenious, enjoyably convoluted Hammer Films studio thriller, with a smooth star turn by Henreid, and Maxwell and Kendall outstanding.

The screenplay by Paul Tabori and Terence Fisher is based on the 1952 novel Queen in Danger by Simon Rattray [aka Elleston Trevor], reissued in UK and US as by Adam Hall. Born Trevor Dudley-Smith, he eventually changed his name to Elleston Trevor. He wrote more than 100 books under the pseudonyms Adam Hall, Simon Rattray, Howard North, Roger Fitzalan, Mansell Black, Trevor Burgess, Warwick Scott, Caesar Smith and Lesley Stone, though his most famous work is the 1964 The Flight of the Phoenix written as Elleston Trevor.

It is Barbara Shelley’s first film.

It is made at Bray Studios, Down Place, Oakley Green, Berkshire, England, and also and on location in London, mostly near St Paul’s Cathedral.

Paul Henreid had made Stolen Face (1952), also directed by Terence Fisher, for a percentage of the profits and came back to the UK to make this follow-up, doing it for the same low salary and percentage of the profits.

The cast are Paul Henreid as Hugo Bishop, Lois Maxwell as Thelma Speight, Kieron Moore as Speight, Hugh Sinclair as Maurice Jerrard, Lloyd Lamble as Inspector Frisnay, Anthony Forwood as Rex, Bill Travers as Victor Tasman, Mary Laura Wood as Susie Martin, Kay Kendall as Vera Gorringe, John Penrose, Liam Gaffney, Conrad Phillips, John Stuart, Anna Turner, Arnold Diamond, Geoffrey Murphy, Terry Carney, Sally Newland, Christina Forrest, Jane Welsh and Barbara Shelley.

Mantrap [Man in Hiding] is directed by Terence Fisher, runs 73 minutes, is made by Hammer Films, is released by Exclusive Films (1953) (UK) and United Artists (1953) (US), is written by Paul Tabori and Terence Fisher, based on the novel Queen in Danger by Elleston Trevor, is shot in black and white by Reginald H Wyer, is produced by Michael Carreras and Alexander Paul, is scored by Doreen Carwithen and is designed by J Elder Wills.

Anthony Forwood was married to Glynis Johns from 1942 to 1948, and then was Sir Dirk Bogarde’s life partner and manager until his death in 1988.

© Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 11,136

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