Nightbeat [Night Beat] * (1947, Anne Crawford, Maxwell Reed, Ronald Howard, Hector Ross, Christine Norden) – Classic Movie Review 12,778

Two dubious stories about Christine Norden. After she died in 1988, part of the planet Venus was named after her as a tribute to her status as Britain’s first postwar sex symbol. In 1967 she became the first actress to appear topless off Broadway.

Director Harold Huth’s 1947 British noir thriller film Nightbeat [Night Beat] is based on an original screen story by Guy Morgan, and stars Anne Crawford, Maxwell Reed, Ronald Howard, Hector Ross, and Christine Norden.

Reed and Howard play demobbed World War Two army buddies who go their separate ways after the war. One joins the London Metropolitan Police force, while his pal turns to crime as a shady club owner and racketeer.

This British crime drama is only just fair. Familiar and uninspired plot development produces a tired air, and the studio-based production at Isleworth, Middlesex, looks cheap and unconvincing. The acting is mostly ordinary or poor and the direction is unimaginative and mundane. Those who know the Hollywood prototypes will know how well this kind of story can work.

Nightbeat is routine time-filler material, even in its day, though there are a few little bright sparks. Maxwell Reed and sex symbol Christine Norden (surely born for British noir) come off by far the best of the five principals, while Sid James as Nixon and Michael Medwin as a petty crook reliably save the day. Also Benjamin Frankel’s songs and score are entertaining. Christine Norden sings ‘I’m Not In Love’ and ‘When You Smile’ (music by Benjamin Frankel and lyrics by Harold Purcell).

Also in the cast are Sid James [Sidney James], Michael Medwin, Fred Groves, and Michael Hordern.

Studio boss Alexander Korda thought the film was dreadful and planned only a limited country release with no London showing and no press show. But Korda’s company had to offer Nightbeat as a replacement when another film failed. So there was a hostile press show on 11 February 1948 at the Rialto cinema.

Two stories about Christine Norden, neither of them probably true. After Christine Norden died in Middlesex in 1988, aged 63, from pneumonia following heart bypass surgery, part of the planet Venus was named after her as a tribute to her reputation as Britain’s first postwar sex symbol. Alas, though this is often claimed, there is no evidence that it is so. In fact she almost certainly never had a Venusian commemoration.

Christine Norden was quite a character. She supposedly caused a sensation in 1967 when she became the first actress to appear topless off Broadway in the comedy play Scuba Duba. Or did she? or was she?

What is true is that she married five times, including British film director Jack Clayton.

Nightbeat is directed by Harold Huth, runs 91 minutes, is made by Harold Huth Productions and British Lion Films, is released by British Lion Film Corporation (UK), is written by Guy Morgan (screenplay), T J Morrison (screenplay), Roland Pertwee (new scenes and story editor), Robert Westerby (uncredited), is shot by Vaclav Vich, is produced by Harold Huth, and scored by Benjamin Frankel, with Art Direction by Ferdinand Bellan.

It opened in Sweden on December 22, 1947.

The cast are Anne Crawford as Julie Kendall, Maxwell Reed as Felix Fenton, Ronald Howard as Andy Kendall, Christine Norden as Jackie, Hector Ross as Don Brady, Fred Groves as PC Kendall, Sid James (credited as Sidney James) as Nixon, Nicholas Stuart as Rocky, Frederick Leister as Magistrate, Michael Medwin as Spider, Robert Cawdron as Police recruit, Robert Raglan as Detective Sergeant, Eddie Byrne as Fence, Cyril Chamberlain as PC Rix, Philip Stainton as Sgt Slack, Ben Williams as Pub Landlord, and Michael Hordern as Police Training Officer.

© Derek Winnert 2024 – Classic Movie Review 12,778

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