Cloak Without Dagger

Last updated

Cloak Without Dagger
"Cloak Without Dagger" (1956).jpeg
British quad poster
Directed byJoseph Sterling
Written by A. R. Rawlinson
Produced byA. R. Rawlinson
Starring Philip Friend
Mary Mackenzie
Leslie Dwyer
Cinematography Gerald Gibbs
Edited byCarmen Beliaeff
Music by Wilfred Burns
Production
company
Balblair Productions
Distributed by Butcher's Film Service (UK)
Release date
  • February 1956 (1956-02)(UK)
Running time
69 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

Cloak Without Dagger (U.S title Operation Conspiracy [1] ) is a 1956 British second feature ('B') [2] thriller film directed by Joseph Sterling and starring Philip Friend, Mary Mackenzie and Leslie Dwyer. [3] [4] It was written and produced by A. R. Rawlinson.

Contents

Plot

A fashion reporter is united with a former boyfriend, after a chance meeting, and helps him to track down an enemy spy.

Cast

Critical reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "Medium-paced British comedy thriller. Despite an obvious denouement and a somewhat disconcerting number of loose ends, the plot builds up a reasonable degree of suspense; and the leading players, notably John Heller as the professional spy, give confident performances." [5]

The Radio Times described it as "an uncomfortable mix of romance and myster.y" [6]

Britmovie called it a "light-hearted spy story with a touch of romance." [7]

In British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959 David Quinlan rated the film as "mediocre", writing: "Some thrills, some unintentional laughs." [8]

Related Research Articles

<i>Hell Is a City</i> 1960 British film by Val Guest

Hell Is a City is a 1960 British crime thriller film directed by Val Guest and starring Stanley Baker, John Crawford and Donald Pleasence. It was written by Guest based on the 1954 novel of the same title by Maurice Procter, and made by British studio Hammer Film Productions on location in Manchester. It was partly inspired by the British New Wave films and resembles American film noir.

<i>The Gentle Sex</i> 1943 British film by Leslie Howard

The Gentle Sex is a 1943 British black-and-white romantic comedy-drama war film, directed by Leslie Howard and Maurice Elvey and narrated by Howard. It was produced by Concanen Productions, Two Cities Films, and Derrick de Marney. It was Howard's last film before his death.

<i>The Lady Craved Excitement</i> 1950 British film by Francis Searle

The Lady Craved Excitement is a 1950 British comedy second feature ('B') film directed by Francis Searle and starring Hy Hazell, Michael Medwin and Sid James. It was written by John Gilling based on the 1949 BBC radio serial The Lady Craved Excitement by Edward J. Mason. An early Hammer film, it is significant as one of five films shot at Oakley Court and the first to feature its famous exterior, located next door to Bray Studios.

<i>Stormy Crossing</i> 1958 British film by C. M. Pennington-Richards

Stormy Crossing is a 1958 British crime, drama, thriller, mystery film directed by C. M. Pennington-Richards and starring John Ireland, Derek Bond, Leslie Dwyer, and Maureen Connell. It was written by Brock Williams based on the original story ''Black Tide'' by Sid Harris & Lou Dyer.

<i>The Weapon</i> (1956 film) 1956 British film by Val Guest

The Weapon is a 1956 black and white British thriller film directed by Val Guest and starring Steve Cochran, Lizabeth Scott, Herbert Marshall, and Nicole Maurey. It was made by Republic Pictures.

<i>The Man in the Road</i> 1956 British film by Lance Comfort

The Man in the Road is a 1956 British second feature thriller film directed by Lance Comfort and starring Derek Farr, Ella Raines, Donald Wolfit and Cyril Cusack. It was written by Guy Morgan based on the 1952 novel He Was Found in the Road by Anthony Armstrong.

<i>Night Boat to Dublin</i> 1946 film

Night Boat to Dublin is a 1946 British thriller film directed by Lawrence Huntington and starring Robert Newton, Raymond Lovell, Guy Middleton, Muriel Pavlow and Herbert Lom. It was written by Huntington and Robert Hall.

<i>Eyewitness</i> (1956 film) 1956 British film by Muriel Box

Eyewitness is a 1956 British thriller film directed by Muriel Box and starring Donald Sinden, Muriel Pavlow, Belinda Lee, Michael Craig, Nigel Stock and Richard Wattis. It was Produced by Sydney Box for the Rank Organisation.

<i>Stolen Assignment</i> 1955 British film by Terence Fisher

Stolen Assignment is a 1955 British comedy 'B' film directed by Terence Fisher and starring John Bentley and Hy Hazell. It was produced by Francis Searle for Act Films Ltd and was a sequel to Fisher's Final Appointment (1954), featuring sleuthing journalists Mike Billings and Jenny Drew.

<i>The Teckman Mystery</i> 1954 film

The Teckman Mystery is a 1954 British mystery film directed by Wendy Toye and starring Margaret Leighton, John Justin, Roland Culver and Michael Medwin. It was written by Francis Durbridge and James Matthews, based on the 1953 BBC TV serial The Teckman Biography by Durbridge. It was distributed by British Lion.

<i>Third Party Risk</i> 1954 British film by Daniel Birt

Third Party Risk is a 1954 second feature British crime drama film directed by Daniel Birt and starring Lloyd Bridges, Simone Silva and Finlay Currie. It was written by Birt and Robert Dunbaris based on the 1953 novel of the same name by Nicholas Bentley. It was released in the United States by Lippert Pictures under the title TheDeadly Game.

<i>Alias John Preston</i> 1955 British film by David MacDonald

Alias John Preston is a 1955 British 'B' thriller film directed by David MacDonald and starring Christopher Lee, Betta St. John and Alexander Knox. A mysterious and wealthy man moves to a small village where he outwardly appears to be a friendly figure but nurses a dangerous secret.

<i>The Frightened Man</i> 1952 British film by John Gilling

The Frightened Man is a 1952 British second feature crime film directed and written by John Gilling and starring Dermot Walsh, Barbara Murray and Charles Victor. An antiques dealer suffers a dramatic fall from grace.

<i>Death in High Heels</i> 1947 British short film by Lionel Tomlinson

Death in High Heels is a 1947 British second feature ('B') crime film directed by Lionel Tomlinson and starring Don Stannard, Elsa Tee and Veronica Rose. It was based on the 1941 novel of the same title by Christianna Brand. It was a very early Hammer Films production and was released through Exclusive Films, Hammer's original incarnation.

<i>Kill Her Gently</i> 1957 British film by Charles Saunders

Kill Her Gently is a 1957 British second feature thriller film directed by Charles Saunders and starring Griffith Jones, Maureen Connell and Marc Lawrence. It was written by Paul Erickson.

<i>Little Red Monkey</i> 1955 British film by Ken Hughes

Little Red Monkey is a 1955 British thriller film directed by Ken Hughes and starring Richard Conte, Rona Anderson and Russell Napier. The screenplay was by Hughes and James Eastwood, based on the 1953 BBC Television series of the same name written by Eric Maschwitz.

<i>Not So Dusty</i> (1956 film) 1956 British film by Maclean Rogers

Not So Dusty is a 1956 black and white British 'B' movie comedy film directed and written by Maclean Rogers and starring Bill Owen, Leslie Dwyer and Joy Nichols.

<i>The Betrayal</i> (1957 film) 1957 British film by Ernest Morris

The Betrayal is a low-budget 1957 British film directed by Ernest Morris and starring Philip Friend and Diana Decker. The screenplay was by Brian Clemens and Eldon Howard.

<i>Blackout</i> (1950 film) 1950 British film by Robert S. Baker

Blackout is a 1950 British second feature ('B') crime drama film directed by Robert S. Baker and starring Maxwell Reed and Dinah Sheridan. The screenplay was by John Gilling from a story by Carl Nystrom.

<i>The Diamond</i> (film) 1954 British film by Montgomery Tully

The Diamond is a 1954 British film noir crime film directed by Montgomery Tully, and starring Dennis O'Keefe, Margaret Sheridan and Philip Friend. It is based on the 1952 novel Rich Is the Treasure by Maurice Procter. It was released by United Artists in Britain and in America, where it was known as The Diamond Wizard.

References

  1. "Operation Conspiracy". TVGuide.com. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
  2. Chibnall, Steve; McFarlane, Brian (2009). The British 'B' Film. London: BFI/Bloomsbury. p. 66. ISBN   978-1-8445-7319-6.
  3. "Cloak Without Dagger". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  4. "Cloak without Dagger (1955)". BFI. Archived from the original on 14 January 2009.
  5. "Cloak Without Dagger" . The Monthly Film Bulletin . 23 (264): 31. 1 January 1956 via ProQuest.
  6. David Parkinson. "Cloak without Dagger". RadioTimes.
  7. "Cloak Without Dagger". britmovie.co.uk. Archived from the original on 29 June 2015. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
  8. Quinlan, David (1984). British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959. London: B.T. Batsford Ltd. p. 293. ISBN   0-7134-1874-5.