Out of the Fog *** (1962, David Sumner, Susan Travers, John Arnatt, James Hayter, Jack Watson) – Classic Movie Review 13,110

The slick and satisfying little 1962 British crime thriller film Out of the Fog stars David Sumner, Susan Travers, James Hayter and John Arnatt in a murder mystery, a serial killer story and a police procedural movie.

Writer/ director Montgomery Tully’s rather slick and satisfying little 1962 British black and white crime mystery thriller film Out of the Fog stars David Sumner, Susan Travers, James Hayter and John Arnatt. It is fascinating as a murder mystery, a serial killer story and a police procedural film.

David Sumner stars as George Mallon, a surly, abrasive ex-convict who is released from prison, is taken in at a rooming house for ex-cons run by amiable, avuncular Mr Daniels (James Hayter), and gets a job as a delivery driver in the fictional London suburb of Eastgate. But George is the police’s prime suspect, indeed only suspect, in a series of murders being committed every full moon in a lonely local wooded area known as The Flats, each victim being a young blonde woman. Susan Travers plays the platinum blonde policewoman June Lock, a confident, well-trained police sergeant who goes undercover, pretending to be George’s new girlfriend to flush out the killer, whoever he is. She is bait, and June Lock feels okay about that, she is that confident.

David Sumner is good in the main role in an offbeat and unusual performance that is effective, not playing for sympathy but still earning it. Susan Travers is fine and rather appealing as June Lock, though she has limited screen time, appearing only in the film’s final section, and John Arnatt is excellent as the police Superintendent, forming an enjoyable double act with his conscientious sergeant (Jack Watson, also good).

It is the final film of Olga Lindo, who plays George’s totally unsympathetic mother, Mrs Mallon, real chilly. Renée Houston amuses as the (also chilly) hostel matron Ma, who dislikes George, and George Woodbridge and Michael Ripper stand out among the hostel ex-con inmates as Chopper and Tich, long-term crooks who must also be murder suspects, though planning a current thieving job.

Montgomery Tully’s handling is tidy and his script is nifty, with enough enjoyable dialogue and entertaining characters, as well as the expected mystery digressions and red herrings, to keep it going. There is also sufficient credibility and confusion, and pace, with the mystery all wrapped up in a compact 68 minutes. Everything about the film has a slightly quirky, quizzical air about it that works. And there is a swinging jazz score by Ken Thorne, another odd choice that works.

It is produced by Maurice J Wilson for Eternal Films, and made at Twickenham Studios London, with some location filming around Twickenham. The screenplay is written by director Montgomery Tully and producer Maurice J Wilson, based on the novel Fog for a Killer by Bruce Graeme. In the US it was retitled back to the novel’s title of Fog for a Killer, perhaps to avoid confusion with the 1941 Ida Lupino film Out of the Fog.

Out of the Fog was the supporting second feature to Two Weeks in Another Town in September 1962. Two Weeks in Another Town needed all the help it could get, losing MGM almost $3 million.

The cast are David Sumner as George Mallon, Susan Travers as June Lock, John Arnatt as Superintendent. Chadwick, James Hayter as Mr Daniels, Jack Watson as Sgt Tracey, Olga Lindo as Mrs Mallon, Renée Houston as Ma, George Woodbridge as Chopper, Michael Ripper as Tich, Michael Wynne as Ted, Richard Shaw as Harry, John Woodnutt as Blacky, John Bown as Herb, John Welsh as prison governor, Anthony Oliver as prison chaplain, and Tony Quinn as manager.

Out of the Fog is directed by Montgomery Tully, runs 68 minutes, is made by Eternal Films, is released by Grand National Pictures (UK), is written by Montgomery Tully and Maurice J Wilson, based on the novel Fog for a Killer by Bruce Graeme, is produced by Maurice J Wilson, is shot in black and white by Walter J Harvey, and is scored by Ken Thorne and Philip Martell (musical director).

It is released by Renown on DVD with Radio Cab Murder and plays on Talking Pictures TV.

David Sumner

David Sumner was born in January 1933 in Mitcham, Surrey, England. He is known for Out of the Fog (1962), Beau Geste (TV miniseries 1982) and TV’s The Sullavan Brothers (1964-65). He was working regularly from 1959 to 1996.

Susan Travers

Susan Travers was born on February 18, 1939 in Chelsea, London. She made her film debut in The Duke Wore Jeans, and is known for Sons and Lovers, Peeping Tom, The Snake Woman, Out of the Fog (1962), TV’s Van der Valk (1972=73) and TV’s The Avengers (1968). She was working regularly from 1958 to 1974. She is the niece  of Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna.

John Arnatt

John Arnatt (9 May 1917 – 21 December 1999) was born in Petrograd, Russia. Well known only to a select few, he worked regularly from 1948 to 1975. One of his more famous roles was the Deputy Sheriff of Nottingham in the fourth and final series of 1955-60 TV series The Adventures of Robin Hood. He also played the High Sheriff of Nottingham in A Challenge for Robin Hood. He played Chief Inspector Walter Dew in the 1962 film Dr Crippen.

© Derek Winnert 2024 – Classic Movie Review 13,110

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