The Sicilians ** (1964, Robert Hutton, Reginald Marsh, Ursula Howells) – Classic Movie Review 13,114

The watchable 1964 Butcher’s Film Productions British second feature crime kidnap thriller film quickie The Sicilians stars Robert Hutton, Reginald Marsh, and Ursula Howells.

Director Ernest Morris’s watchable 1964 Butcher’s Film Productions British black and white second feature crime kidnap thriller film quickie The Sicilians stars Robert Hutton, Reginald Marsh, Ursula Howells, and Alex Scott, Susan Denny, and Robert Ayres.

Fading American star Robert Hutton came to Britain to join the home team of Reginald Marsh and Ursula Howells for this interesting if plodding little Paris-set thriller about a dancer called Carole Linden (Susan Denny) helping Calvin Adams (Hutton), a man from the American embassy in London, to find the abducted son of a Mafia gangster, Angelo Di Marco (Robert Ayres), who has ratted on the Mob, betraying other mafiosi in a court hearing. Both Scotland Yard and the French police are also on the case of the kidnapping of the son of the Mafia man who has named names in the US.

The Sicilians is a humble, short and tolerable B-movie, a bit too cheaply made for comfort, but fair of its sort.

Robert Hutton is none too thrilling, but Susan Denny is appealing as Carole Linden, and Ursula Howells is elegant and engaging as Madame Perrault, with Alex Scott satisfyingly noble and brave as Henri Perrault. Marsh adds some local colour as the Scotland Yard inspector who helps Hutton out, and Eric Pohlmann is even more colourful as the French inspector, while Warren Mitchell (amusing as O’Leary), Michael Balfour (amusing as the grumpy stage door keeper) and the late great Patricia Hayes (amusing as the chattering plane passenger) enliven the support.

The quirky location shifts in from New York to London to Paris, and the quirkier cabaret act (Maggy Sarragne as the cabaret star who performs Gilbert Bécaud’s ‘C’Était Moi’ and Floyd Robinson’s ‘T’Aimer Follement (Makin’ Love)’ add some sugar and spice. Director Ernest Morris adds some zest and sense of fun to the rather strained screenplay by Ronald Liles and Reginald Hearne, with both plotting and dialogue problems, as well as easy stock characters, though they make the nice actors’ work easy.

It is made at Shepperton Film Studios, Middlesex, England.

The Sicilians went on release in the UK with Kiss Me Stupid in 1965.

The cast are Robert Hutton as Calvin Adams, Reginald Marsh as Inspector Webb, Ursula Howells as Madame Perrault, Alex Scott as Henri Perrault, Susan Denny as Carole, Robert Ayres as Angelo Di Marco, Eric Pohlmann as Inspector Bressin, Patricia Hayes as plane passenger, Warren Mitchell as O’Leary, Richard Caldicot as Police Commissioner, Gordon Tanner as District Attorney, Michael Balfour as Stage Door keeper, Murray Kash as George Baxter, Maggy Sarragne as cabaret star, Murray Evans as Sergeant Harris, Derek Royle as porter, Ivor Dean as Burford, John McLaren as judge, Chuck Julian as jury foreman, John H Watson as doctor at flats, Sally Douglas as O’Leary’s secretary, Ralph Ball as constable, Aleta Morrison as speciality dancer, Michael Pemberton as hospital doctor, Romo Gorrara as kidnapper, Enid Lorimer as old lady Larry Cross as journalist, and Leslie Taussig as Tony Di Marco.

American actor Robert Hutton (born Robert Bruce Winne; June 11, 1920 – August 7, 1994) enjoyed a decent run as a Warner Bros contract star, but after leaving the studios worked in England for several years in movies, TV shows and as a writer and director. He returned years later to the US and lived in New York where he was born and raised.

It is released on DVD by Renown with Operation Diplomat, and screens on Talking Pictures TV in the UK,

© Derek Winnert 2024 – Classic Movie Review 13,114

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