Devil's Point (film)

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Devil's Point
Devil's Point film poster.jpg
US theatrical release poster
Directed by Montgomery Tully
Written byCharles Deane
Produced byCharles Deane
Starring Richard Arlen
Greta Gynt
Donald Houston
Mary Germaine
Cinematography Geoffrey Faithfull
Edited byEnid Mansell
Peter Seabourne
Production
company
Charles Deane Productions
Distributed by Monarch Film Corporation
20th Century Fox (US)
Release date
  • 20 September 1954 (1954-09-20)
Running time
70 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

Devil's Point (U.S. title: Devil's Harbor) is a 1954 British drama film directed by Montgomery Tully and starring Richard Arlen, Greta Gynt and Donald Houston. [1] It was written and produced by Charles Deane as a second feature, [2] one of two he made starring Hollywood actor Arlen; the other was Stolen Time (1955). The film was released in the United States by 20th Century Fox.

Contents

Plot

John 'Captain' Martin is a sailor who gets involved with a drug ring when he finds a package on a harbour containing their stolen goods. He meets with a detective and rounds up the hoodlums.

Cast

Reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "A commonplace mystery story, with a confused plot, a certain elementary suspense and some artificially contrived excitements." [3]

Kine Weekly wrote: "The picture occasionally gets caught up in its own cross-currents, but choppy moments are few and it puts plenty of punch into its concluding episodes and climax. Richard Arlen is virile and likeable as Martin, Donald Houston registers as the resolute Mallard and Greta Gynt makes a comely Peggy. The supporting players also keep on their toes." [4]

Variety wrote: "The melodramatics in this British-made thriller that 20th-Fox is distributing come off poorly and it is best suited for fill-in bookings in the lesser situations. Only familiar name is that of Richard Arlen, balance of cast being Britishers. ... The basic plot idea furnished a good enough springboard for a program meller, but it falls apart in the script development, giving the players little to work with. Montgomery Tully's direction is no help, either, so there's no plausibility to the action. The technical contributions are substandard." [5]

In British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959 David Quinlan rated the film as "mediocre", writing: "Very artificial thriler of little interest." [6]

References

  1. ↑ Devil's Point at the BFI Database
  2. ↑ Chibnall, Steve; McFarlane, Brian (2009). The British 'B' Film. London: BFI/Bloomsbury. p. 51. ISBN   978-1-8445-7319-6.
  3. ↑ "Devil's Point" . The Monthly Film Bulletin . 21 (240): 161. 1 January 1954. ProQuest   1305817999.
  4. ↑ "Devil's Point" . Kine Weekly . 450 (2463): 19. 9 September 1954. ProQuest   2732606206.
  5. ↑ "Devil's Point" . Variety . 197 (2): 6. 15 December 1954. ProQuest   1016984940.
  6. ↑ Quinlan, David (1984). British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959. London: B.T. Batsford Ltd. p. 301. ISBN   0-7134-1874-5.
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