The Lady Craved Excitement ** (1950, Hy Hazell, Michael Medwin, Sidney James, Thelma Grigg, Andrew Keir, Danny Green) – Classic Movie Review 11,036

Director Francis Searle’s 1950 British low-budget black and white Hammer Films production The Lady Craved Excitement is a fairly ordinary, though not too dull Fifties British B-movie comedy mystery thriller, in which the irrepressibly bubbly, leggy Hy Hazell stars as Pat, the lady who craves excitement, and constantly tries to solve crimes.

This Hammer Films screen version of Edward J Mason’s popular old BBC radio serial follows the story of young cabaret star music hall performer Pat (Hazell) and her stage partner and boyfriend Johnny (played by Michael Medwin) coming up against a trio of crooks and saving precious paintings from a greedy art smuggler.

Hazell and Medwin are amiable performers, Sidney James co-stars as an Italian named Carlo!, there is a good cast (Thelma Grigg, Andrew Keir, Danny Green and John Longden as Inspector James), and the film has its antique charms, but if you are actually craving excitement perhaps look elsewhere. Andrew Keir makes his film debut here as Peterson.

It is another reminder, after The Man in Black (1949) (also with Sidney James), of how Hammer started in business adapting radio programmes as feature films. Like that film, it is shot at the Victorian Gothic country house of Oakley Court, Windsor Road, Oakley Green, Windsor, Berkshire, England. Oakley Court became home to Hammer Films in August 1949, shooting five films there before moving to the adjacent Down Place, subsequently Bray Studios, the following year.

Also in the cast are Ian Wilson, Barbara Hamilton, Jasmine Dee, Gordon Mulholland, Ernest Blyth, Louis Matto, and Richard Neller.

The Lady Craved Excitement is directed by Francis Searle, runs 69 minutes, is made by Hammer Films, is released by Exclusive Films (1950) (UK), is written by Edward J Mason, John Gilling and Francis Searle, based on Edward J Mason’s radio serial, is shot in black and white by Walter J Harvey, is produced by Anthony Hinds, is scored by John Spencer. Jimmy Sangster is assistant director.

Hy Hazell sings The Lady Craves Excitement (by James Dyrenforth and George Melachrino) and Ladies of the Gaiety (by James Dyrenforth and George Melachrino).

© Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 11,036

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