This film , made in 1945, was director Montgomery Tully's first. Over the next 22 years he made 39 more, which judging by their length must have been nearly all been second features (given its stars " The Boys in Brown" was presumably an A.) He was also the main director on the excellent half-hour "Scotland Yard" films, narrated by Edgar Lustgarten, making 14 of the 39.
I won't outline the plot. Others have done that, but ignore FGwynplaineMacintyre 's second paragraph, which is bizarre and misleading. There were several questions that occurred to me. Why did the lover of Masterick's wife climb up a crane when running from the sword-wielding husband? Both common sense and film-going should have told him that fleeing upwards never ends well. Why was Masterick convicted of murder when the body retrieved from the Thames presumably had no sword cuts? Why did Masterick's daughter have no memory of him? (Petula Clark, who played her at the time of the trial, was 12 when this film was made.) Why did Masterick emerge from 15 years in prison with an altogether more cultured voice? Why did lover boy, after a time at sea, return to the East End without changing his name?
Perhaps I'm easy to please, but none of these plot holes stopped me from enjoying this well-acted and well-directed film. I saw it on Talking Pictures TV, which has also shown many of Tully's other films. Some are available on YouTube and Amazon too.
I won't outline the plot. Others have done that, but ignore FGwynplaineMacintyre 's second paragraph, which is bizarre and misleading. There were several questions that occurred to me. Why did the lover of Masterick's wife climb up a crane when running from the sword-wielding husband? Both common sense and film-going should have told him that fleeing upwards never ends well. Why was Masterick convicted of murder when the body retrieved from the Thames presumably had no sword cuts? Why did Masterick's daughter have no memory of him? (Petula Clark, who played her at the time of the trial, was 12 when this film was made.) Why did Masterick emerge from 15 years in prison with an altogether more cultured voice? Why did lover boy, after a time at sea, return to the East End without changing his name?
Perhaps I'm easy to please, but none of these plot holes stopped me from enjoying this well-acted and well-directed film. I saw it on Talking Pictures TV, which has also shown many of Tully's other films. Some are available on YouTube and Amazon too.