The Diamond [The Diamond Wizard] ** (1954, Dennis O’Keefe, Margaret Sheridan, Philip Friend, with Alan Wheatley, Francis de Wolff, Paul Hardtmuth) – Classic Movie Review 12,752

The 1954 British film noir crime thriller The Diamond [The Diamond Wizard] stars Dennis O’Keefe as a T-man in the UK on the trail of a syndicate making fake diamonds out of sugar. It is Britain’s first 3D film but has almost always been seen flat.

Directors Dennis O’Keefe and Montgomery Tully’s 1954 British film noir crime thriller The Diamond [The Diamond Wizard] stars Dennis O’Keefe, Margaret Sheridan, and Philip Friend, along with Alan Wheatley, Francis de Wolff, Eric Berry, Michael Balfour, and Paul Hardtmuth. It is notable for being Britain’s first 3D film but has almost always been seen flat.

Based on the 1952 novel Rich Is the Treasure by Maurice Procter, The Diamond is a drab, plodding, over-familiar Fifties crime thriller, done without conjuring up much credibility in either the script by John C Higgins or the acting, though there are some iconic Fifties Brit names to bring some appeal and attraction.

When a million dollars is stolen from its vaults, the American Treasury sends agent Joe Dennison (O’Keefe) to join his British counterpart, Scotland Yard’s Inspector McClaren (Philip Friend), in busting a syndicate making fake diamonds out of sugar. Dennison finds out that Marline Miller (Margaret Sheridan)’s atomic scientist dad, Dr Eric Miller (Paul Hardtmuth), has been abducted to make the gems for the bad guys.

It was made in 3D by Stereo Techniques Ltd (stereo technician Charles Smith) and is the first British 3D feature film, but, perhaps when the film’s lack of quality was noticed early on, it was rarely shown except flat. However, the restored 3D version was released on Blu-Ray in November 2022.

Despite splashing out on 3D. it is shot in black and white. It is made at Nettlefold Studios, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, England, with location filming around London..

Also in the cast are Eric Berry, Michael Balfour, Ann Gudrun, Cyril Chamberlain, Seymour Green, Hugh Morton, Colin Tapley, Paul Whitsun-Jones, Gordon McLeod, Betty McDowall, Alastair Hunter, Paul Carpenter, Philip Lennard, Molly Weir, Donald Gray, Larry Burns, Dan Cunningham, and Victor Wood.

The Diamond [The Diamond Wizard] runs 84 minutes, is made by Gibraltar Films, is released by United Artists, is written by John C Higgins, is shot in black and white by Arthur Graham, is produced by Stephen Pallos, is scored by Matyas Seiber, and is designed by Denis Wreford.

Release dates: 26 April 1954 (UK) and July 16, 1954 (US).

Mystery surrounds the director. The video on the Internet of a print with the British release The Diamond title credits Dennis O’Keefe, while the American Film Institute Catalogue of Motion Pictures records that the US print The Diamond Wizard credits Montgomery Tully, though the poster credits Dennis O’Keefe.

The film was on the BFI 75 Most Wanted list of lost films but apparently was never lost.

The cast are Dennis O’Keefe as Joe Dennison, Margaret Sheridan as Marline Miller, Philip Friend as Inspector McClaren, Alan Wheatley as Thompson Blake, Francis de Wolff as Yeo, Eric Berry as Hunziger, Michael Balfour as Hoxie, Gudrun Ure as Sergeant Smith, Paul Hardtmuth as Dr Eric Miller, Colin Tapley as Sir Stafford Beach, Donald Gray as Commander Gilles, Cyril Chamberlain as Castle, Seymour Green as Lascelles, Betty McDowall as Police Sgt. Graves, Alastair Hunter as Dr Cully, Paul Carpenter as Mickey Sweeney, Philip Lennard as Police Sgt Hunter. Victor Wood as fingerprint technician Sam, Molly Weir as Mrs Sayer, Gordon McLeod as Paul Hawkins, Arthur Mullard as police informer, Wensley Pithey as Police Sergeant, Larry Burns, and Dan Cunningham.

Alan Wheatley was the first actor killed by a Dalek on Doctor Who.

© Derek Winnert 2023 – Classic Movie Review 12,752

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com