The Sinister Man is a 1961 British crime drama film directed by Clive Donner and starring Patrick Allen and John Bentley.[1][2] It was one of the series of Edgar Wallace Mysteries, British second-features, produced at Merton Park Studios in the 1960s.[3]
| The Sinister Man | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Clive Donner |
| Written by | Robert Stewart |
| Based on | novel The Sinister Man by Edgar Wallace |
| Produced by | Jack Greenwood |
| Starring | Patrick Allen Gerald Anderson William Gaunt John Bentley |
| Cinematography | Bert Mason |
| Edited by | Derek Holding |
| Music by | Charles Blackwell |
| Distributed by | Anglo-Amalgamated Film Distributors |
Release date |
|
Running time | 58 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Plot
editThe body of an Oxford professor is found floating in the river Thames. He had previously been studying an archeological artefact known as the Kytang Wafers, and this is now missing. Scotland Yard investigates. The wafers are bits of ancient text that could alter the relations between Red China and a Tibetan type nation called "Kytang". An autopsy reveals that the professor was murdered by a karate blow.
Cast
edit- John Bentley as Superintendent Wills
- Patrick Allen as Dr. Nelson Pollard
- Gerald Anderson as Major Paul Amery
- Edward Atienza as Clerk
- Wilfrid Brambell as lock-keeper
- Yvonne Buckingham as Miss Russell
- Michael Deacon as Angus
- Jacqueline Ellis as Elsa Marlowe
- Keith Faulkner as Lock keeper's assistant
- William Gaunt as Mitch Hallam
- John Glyn-Jones as Dr. Maurice Tarn
- Peter Hager as warden
- John Horsley as pathologist
- Burt Kwouk as Captain Feng
- Arnold Lee as Soyok
- Robert Lee as Nam Lee
- Brian McDermott as Detective Sergeant Stillman
- Don McKillop as reporter
Critical reception
editThe Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "Hectic penny dreadful, without subtlety or surprise. Clive Donner's direction has intermittent punch, but the jaded format of these Edgar Wallace quickies is beginning to defeat any attempt at even the simplest kind of style."[4]
Leslie Halliwell said: "Very tolerable minor thriller in the Edgar Wallace series: short, sharp and snappy."[5]
MemorableTV.com described the film as "definitely one of the great Edgar Wallace entries with a fab cast that includes a pre-Steptoe Wilfred Brambell, Patrick Allen, William Gaunt and Burt Kwouk. John Bentley who took the lead as Superintendent Willis was a popular actor in the late fifties and early sixties but is all but forgotten these days."[6]
Classic Movie Ramblings wrote "The Sinister Man isn’t exactly a good movie but it has plenty of energy and a few intriguingly odd moments. I found it to be strangely appealing."[7]
Home media
editThe film is included in Volume 2 of The Edgar Wallace Mystery series, released on region 2 DVD by Network, in 2012.[8]
References
edit- ^ "The Sinister Man". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
- ^ "The Sinister Man". BFI. Archived from the original on 13 January 2009.
- ^ "» EDGAR WALLACE AT MERTON PARK – by Tise Vahimagi".
- ^ "The Sinister Man". The Monthly Film Bulletin. 29 (336): 26. 1 January 1962 – via ProQuest.
- ^ Halliwell, Leslie (1989). Halliwell's Film Guide (7th ed.). London: Paladin. p. 923. ISBN 0586088946.
- ^ Mem TV. "Edgar Wallace Mysteries: The Sinister Man (1961 Merton Park with John Bentley)".
- ^ "Classic Movie Ramblings: The Sinister Man (1961)". 25 May 2018.
- ^ "The Edgar Wallace Mysteries - Volume 2". www.dvdbeaver.com.
External links
edit
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