River Beat *** (1954, Phillis Kirk, John Bentley, Robert Ayres) – Classic Movie Review 12,960

Guy Green’s commendable 1954 British second feature noir crime film River Beat stars American actress Phillis Kirk and popular British B-movie heart-throb John Bentley.

‘Waterfront Thrills!

Director Guy Green’s commendable 1954 British second feature noir crime film River Beat stars American actress Phillis Kirk, along with popular British B-movie heart-throb John Bentley, and UK-based American actor Robert Ayres.

American ship’s captain Watford (Robert Ayres) is a diamond smuggler discovered by his wireless operator Judy Roberts (Phillis Kirk) and London river patrol customs copper Detective Inspector Dan Barker (John Bentley), in this fast-flowing London-set riverboat melodrama.

Radio operator Judy (Kirk) has been tricked into importing the gems into the UK in cigarette packs, but the UK Customs find her out, and then there is the little matter of the corpse of the bloke who passed her the loot, found floating in the Thames. Lucky for her then that London police inspector Dan (Bentley) fancies her.

Neat plotting, capable acting, swift, taut direction and the Thames and the London Dockland locations are the making of this cheap, quick but surprisingly effective and atmospheric little B-movie production by Insignia Films for Eros Films distribution in the UK and Lippert Pictures (US).

It is Guy Green’s first film as a director.

It is shot at Walton Studios on sets designed by John Stoll and on location in and around London.

The cast are Phyllis Kirk as Judy Roberts, John Bentley as Detective Inspector Dan Barker, Robert Ayres as Watford, Leonard White as Detective Sergeant Mack McLeod, Glyn Houston as Charlie Williamson, Patrick Jordan as Bert Fisher, Ewan Roberts as Customs Inspector J S Blake, David Hurst as Paddy McClure, Charles Lloyd-Pack as John Hendrick, Isabel George as Anna, Margaret Anderson as Nell, Harold Ayer as Joseph Benson alias Alfred Gordon, Tony Hilton as bartender Harry, Jack McNaughton as Hickson, Dermot Palmer as Wayne, Colin Douglas as harbour patrol superintendent, Bill Nagy as deckhand Eddie, Michael Browning as Detective Perry, Michael Balfour as sailor Adams, Peter Collingwood as surgeon, Warwick Ashton as Constable, and Eric Corrie as Constable.

River Beat is directed by Guy Green, runs 70 minutes, is made by Insignia Films, is released by Eros Films (UK) and Lippert Pictures (US), is written by Rex Rienits, is shot in black and white by Geoffrey Faithfull is produced by Victor Hanbury and Herman Cohen, is scored by Hubert Clifford, and is John Stoll.

© Derek Winnert 2024 – Classic Movie Review 12,960

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