Echo of Barbara

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Echo of Barbara
Echo of Barbara (1960 film).jpg
Directed by Sidney Hayers
Written by John Kruse
Based onnovel Echo of Barbara by Jonathan Burke
Produced by Julian Wintle
Leslie Parkyn
Starring Mervyn Johns
Maureen Connell
with Paul Stassino
Cinematography Michael Reed
Edited byTristam Cones
Music byDavide Castrati
Production
company
Distributed by Anglo-Amalgamated Film Distributors (UK)
Release date
  • 1960 (1960)
Running time
58 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

Echo of Barbara is a 1960 British crime film directed by Sidney Hayers, and starring Mervyn Johns and Maureen Connell. It was written by John Kruse based on the 1959 novel of the same title by Jonathan Burke. [1] [2] [3] It was one of several crime films Hayers made for Anglo-Amalgamated. [4]

Contents

Plot

Soho stripper Paula Brown poses as Barbara, the missing sister of crooked Sam Roscoe, hoping to uncover the whereabouts of stolen money. [5]

Cast

Critical reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "An intricate and implausible impersonation story, made without style and falling back on sleazy and violent backgrounds and incidents to whip up some artificial excitement." [6]

Kine Weekly wrote: "There are some seamy and violent passages, but a strong human interest, smoothly developed by Maureen Connell as the heroine, preserves essential balance. It's potent and palatable fare. ... The picture opens in a striptease joint and has a few other sexy moments, but sensationalism is a means to a suspenseful and morally sound climax. Maureen Connell meets all acting demands and is easy on the eyes as Paula, Mervyn Johns scores as Sam, and Paul Stassino and Ronald Hines thoroughly convince as the ruthless Caledonia and two-timing Mike respectively. Its direction, too, has punch, the feminine angle is strong, and its backgrounds are suitably varied." [7]

Allmovie called it "a better-than-usual British programmer, entertaining despite its surplus of unpleasant leading characters." [5]

References

  1. ↑ "Echo of Barbara". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
  2. ↑ ECHO OF BARBARA Monthly Film Bulletin; London Vol. 28, Iss. 324, (Jan 1, 1961): 23.
  3. ↑ Goble, Alan (8 September 2011). The Complete Index to Literary Sources in Film. Walter de Gruyter. ISBN   9783110951943 – via Google Books.
  4. ↑ Vagg, Stephen (16 January 2025). "Forgotten British moguls: Nat Cohen – Part Two (1957-1962)". Filmink. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  5. 1 2 "Echo of Barbara (1960) - Sidney Hayers, Arthur Alcott | Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related". AllMovie.
  6. ↑ "Echo of Barbara". The Monthly Film Bulletin . 28 (324): 23. 1 January 1961. ProQuest   1305823557.
  7. ↑ "Echo of Barbara". Kine Weekly . 524 (2780): 32. 12 January 1961. ProQuest   2859063707.
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