The Dark Light *½ (1951, Albert Lieven, David Greene) – Classic Movie Review 13,001

Vernon Sewell’s entirely adequate 1951 low-budget British black and white second feature thriller film The Dark Light stars Albert Lieven and David Greene in a tale of a lighthouse crew unwittingly rescuing a gang of bank robbers.

Writer/ director Vernon Sewell’s entirely adequate 1951 low-budget British black and white second feature thriller film The Dark Light stars Albert Lieven and David Greene.

After two workers at a lighthouse save a gang of crooks on the run from a bank robbery from drowning, thinking they are the survivors of a shipwreck, they are tempted to grab some of the loot from the bank job rather than hand the robbers over to the police.

Some tension is provided by this well set-up, small-scale Hammer thriller, and there is an interesting cast working diligently. But ultimately it cannot rise above its station as just a humble little programme filler, though, to be fair, it doesn’t seek to and that’s quite okay, with Sewell making a virtue of its compact setting and restricted cast.

Also in the cast are Norman MacOwan [Norman Macowan], Martin Benson, Katharine Blake, Jack Stewart, John Harvey, John Longden, and Joan Carol.

It was filmed at a rented country estate in Gilston and on location around Portsmouth. Director Sewell even used his own boat.

The Dark Light is directed by Vernon Sewell, runs 75 minutes, is made by Hammer Films, is released by Exclusive Films (UK), is written by Vernon Sewell, is shot in black and white by Walter Harvey, is produced by Michael Carreras and Anthony Hinds, and scored by Frank Spencer.

Release date: 23 April 1951 (UK).

The cast are Albert Lieven as Mark, David Greene as Johnny, Norman MacOwan [Norman Macowan] as Rigby, Martin Benson as Luigi, Jack Stewart as Matt, Katharine Blake as Linda, Joan Carol as Joan, John Harvey as Roger, and John Longden as Stephen.

Back in the day, second feature B movies were made to be shown as the lesser-known second half of a double bill.

David Greene became a sought-after director: The Shuttered Room (1967), Sebastian (1968) and The Strange Affair (1968). When acting in The Dark Light, he was married to fellow actress Katharine Blake (June 26, 1948 – March 2, 1959) (divorced, one child).

Vernon Sewell was married to actress Joan Carol from 1950 till her death in 1986 in a road accident in France. Sewell became king of the British B movie in a four decade career.

© Derek Winnert 2024 – Classic Movie Review 13,001

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