The October Man *** (1947, John Mills, Joan Greenwood, Edward Chapman) – Classic Movie Review 9147

Director Roy Ward Baker’s 1947 British noir crime drama The October Man is an acceptably delivered, very watchable British murder mystery, with a good role for John Mills as Jim Ackland, a brain-damaged amnesiac, afflicted by a head injury in a bus crash, who becomes the chief murder suspect when a model (Kay Walsh) whom he has just met is found strangled on the local common. The problem is that he doesn’t know where he was when the crime was committed, so he has no alibi.

The suburbia setting lends too leisurely a pace to the piece, which Eric Ambler adapted from his own novel, but he has provided interesting characters and intelligent dialogue. The rundown hotel where the action takes place adds an intriguing sleaziness to the proceedings and director Baker has a good eye for tension and atmosphere, keeping the pot simmering.

Also in the cast are Joan Greenwood, Edward Chapman, Catherine Lacey, Joyce Carey, Adrianne Allen, Felix Aylmer, Patrick Holt, George Benson, Edward Underdown, Philip Ray, George Woodbridge, James Hayter, Frederick Piper as Detective Inspector Godby, John Boxer as Detective Sergeant Troth, Jack Melford as Wilcox, Esme Beringer as Miss Heap, Ann Wilton as Miss Parsons and Juliet Mills.

The October Man is directed by Roy Ward Baker, runs 110 minutes, is made by Two Cities Films, is released by General Film Distributors (1947) (UK) and Eagle-Lion Films (1948) (US), is written by Eric Ambler, adapted from his own novel, is shot in black and white by cinematographer Erwin Hillier, is produced by Eric Ambler, is scored by William Alwyn, and is designed by Alex Vetchinsky.

The October Man theatrical poster.

The film was made at Denham Studio, Buckinghamshire, England, with location shooting at Paddington Station in London.

The little girl Ackland is talking to on the bus is Mills’s daughter, Juliet Mills, then five, in her third film appearance.

Sid James appears uncredited as a man who bumps into Ackland when he arrives at Brockenhurst Common.

Roy Ward Baker was assistant director for Alfred Hitchcock on The Lady Vanishes (1938), while Erwin Hillier was assistant director for Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger on I Know Where I’m Going! (1945).

The 17 April 2019 John Mills – The Centenary Collection Icon Box Set DVD features eight films starring the iconic British actor. The titles are In Which We Serve, We Dive at Dawn, Waterloo Road, Great Expectations, The October Man, The History of Mr Polly, Morning Departure and Flame in the Streets.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 9147

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