Though hardly the only obscure film from John Ford’s late prime (see WHEN WILLIE COMES MARCHING HOME/’50; THE SUN SHINES BRIGHT/’53; THE RISING OF THE MOON /’57*), none was treated quite so shabbily. Made on quick notice when other projects hit snags, this police procedural (a long day of easily solved cases for Jack Hawkins’ likeable Inspector) was twice cut from it’s original length & lost Freddie Young’s lovely TechniColor lensing in b&w prints made for its token Stateside release. The film hasn’t a bad rep so much as it has no rep. Yet, while minor stuff, it does make for pleasant company, unexpectedly zippy as it gambols about well-chosen London locations & on clever, economically handled sets by art director Ken Adam. Loaded with good humored character actors, most of the relaxed comedy lands nicely though the suspense elements hardly catch fire. Anna Massey makes a sweet debut as Hawkins’ violinist daughter with an evening concert he’s trying to make, but Ford was probably more concerned with giving favored actress/friend Anna Lee her first role after six years on Hollywood’s BlackList. And the real pull for Ford may have been in its idealized depiction of the Inspector’s family. Loving, quick to forgive when work comes before family, a happy alternative to Ford’s own difficult, largely unhappy homelife. In the restored prints now available, it makes a nice rainy day feature. Just don’t go in expecting THE SEARCHERS.
DOUBLE-BILL/LINK: *Of those other obscure titles, Ford’s favorite was THE SUN SHINES BRIGHT. Awkward, near great, racially divisive. (see below) REMINDER to SmartPhone users, for easy film-by-film navigation, scroll down to View Web Version LINK to access the MAKSQUIBS Search Box in Upper Lefthand Corner on the full site. (https://maksquibs.blogspot.com/2018/02/the-sun-shines-bright-1953.html)
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