Code of Scotland Yard

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Code of Scotland Yard
Code of Scotland Yard film Theatrical release poster (1947-2).jpg
Directed by George King
Screenplay by Reginald Long
Katherine Strueby
Based on The Shop at Sly Corner by Edward Percy
Produced byGeorge King
Starring Oskar Homolka
Muriel Pavlow
Derek Farr
Cinematography Hone Glendinning
Edited by Manuel del Campo
Music by George Melachrino
Production
company
Pennant Pictures
Distributed by British Lion Films (UK)
Release date
  • 10 March 1947 (1947-03-10)
Running time
91 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguagesEnglish, Italian
Budget£76,715 [1]
Box office£140,694 (UK) [2]

Code of Scotland Yard (also known as The Shop at Sly Corner) is a 1947 British crime film directed by George King and starring Oskar Homolka, Muriel Pavlow and Derek Farr. [3] It was written by Reginald Long and Katherine Strueby based on the stage play The Shop at Sly Corner by Edward Percy. [4]

Contents

Synopsis

A French antique dealer lives a comfortable life in London. He cares only for his daughter, who is trying to become a professional concert violinist. When his shop assistant discovers that much of his money comes from fencing stolen goods he attempts to blackmail the Frenchman.

Cast

Production

Film rights were bought by British Lion in May 1945. [5] It was one of the first three films made by Alexander Korda under his new deal with British Lion.

Oscar Homolka was imported from the USA to star. [6]

Filming started at 6 August 1946. [7] It was shot at Isleworth Studios. [8] The film's sets were designed by the art director Bernard Robinson.

It was the film debut of Diana Dors. According to film reviewer Stephen Vagg, "The part was an ideal way to start out – the girlfriend of a slimy blackmailer – and Diana had 'it' from the start; looks, warmth, appeal". [9]

Muriel Pavlow and Derek Farr, who played lovers in the film, were married shortly after filming. [10]

Reception

Box office

As of 30 June 1949 the film earned £124,197 in the UK of which £92,877 went to the producer. [1] It made a profit of £16,162.

Critical

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "Although the ending has been altered, and, although one misses the slow, drawn-out torture of Elliot's cross-examination of Heiss in the stage version, the story is infinitely more telling as a film than as a play, and gains immeasurably in dramatic value by its translation to the screen. In an outstanding cast, some of whom repeat their stage performances, Oscar Homolka has the part of his career and gives a memorable characterisation as Heiss." [11]

Variety reported that the "film gathers pace and is truly cinematic in the second half, but the first part is deadly slow and too explanatory without explaining much. More, too, should have been made of the romance between the two young lovers." [12]

TV Guide described it as an "interesting melodrama rich with character, thanks to the excellent performance by Homolka and a uniformly fine British cast." [13]

References

  1. 1 2 Chapman, J. (2022). The Money Behind the Screen: A History of British Film Finance, 1945-1985. Edinburgh University Press p 354
  2. ↑ Vincent Porter, 'The Robert Clark Account', Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, Vol 20 No 4, 2000 p483
  3. ↑ "Code of Scotland Yard". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  4. ↑ "Code of Scotland Yard (1947) – Trailers, Reviews, Synopsis, Showtimes and Cast". AllMovie. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
  5. ↑ "Chatter". Variety. 2 May 1945. p. 63.
  6. ↑ "Hollywood stars form a colony in England". The Australian Women's Weekly . Vol. 14, no. 15. 21 September 1946. p. 40. Retrieved 21 July 2020– via National Library of Australia.
  7. ↑ "London". Variety. 24 July 1946. p. 63.
  8. ↑ "Time slowed its march". The Daily Telegraph . Vol. VII, no. 46. New South Wales, Australia. 29 September 1946. p. 29. Retrieved 21 July 2020– via National Library of Australia.
  9. ↑ Vagg, Stephen (7 September 2020). "A Tale of Two Blondes: Diana Dors and Belinda Lee". Filmink.
  10. ↑ "Film Stars Married". Morning Bulletin . No. 26, 710. Queensland, Australia. 27 January 1947. p. 1. Retrieved 21 July 2020– via National Library of Australia.
  11. ↑ "Code of Scotland Yard". The Monthly Film Bulletin . 14 (157): 20. 1 January 1947. ProQuest   1305813936.
  12. ↑ Review of film at Variety
  13. ↑ "Code Of Scotland Yard Review". Movies.tvguide.com. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
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