King of the Underworld | |
---|---|
Directed by | Victor M. Gover |
Written by | John Gilling |
Produced by | Gilbert Church |
Starring | Tod Slaughter Patrick Barr Tucker McGuire |
Edited by | Helen Wiggins |
Music by | William Trytel |
Production company | Gilbert Church Productions |
Distributed by | Ambassador Film Productions |
Release date |
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Running time | 82 minutes |
Country | United Kingdom |
Language | English |
King of the Underworld is a 1952 British crime film directed by Victor M. Gover and starring Tod Slaughter, Patrick Barr and Tucker McGuire. [1] It was written by John Gilling. It was followed by a sequel Murder at Scotland Yard (1953).
A master criminal is hunted by the police after committing a series of crimes.
The film was made at Bushey Studios with sets designed by the art director Don Chaffey.
Kine Weekly wrote: "The picture is tongue-in-the-cheek stuff ... 'Sweeny Tod' Slaughter delivers every menacing line with obvious relish and is both amusing and effectively sinister as Riley, and the rest keep in step. King of the Underworld should be a crowning success with avid readers of penny dreadfuls." [2]
In British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959 David Quinlan rated the film as "mediocre", writing: "Slight change of pace for barnstorming star, but film not widely shown." [3]
Patrick David Barr was an English actor. In his career spanning over half a century, he appeared in about 144 films and television series.
Norman Carter Slaughter, also known as Tod Slaughter, was an English actor, best known for playing over-the-top maniacs in macabre film adaptations of Victorian melodramas.
The Girl in the Picture is a 1957 British second feature crime film directed by Don Chaffey and starring Donald Houston and Patrick Holt. It was written by Paul Ryder.
The Flying Squad, also known as Edgar Wallace's The Flying Squad is a 1940 British crime film directed by Herbert Brenon and starring Sebastian Shaw, Phyllis Brooks and Jack Hawkins. It was based on a 1928 novel by Edgar Wallace, which had been previously filmed under the same title in 1929 (silent) and 1932.
Tread Softly is a 1952 British second feature ('B') crime film with musical overtones, directed by David MacDonald and starring Frances Day, Patricia Dainton and John Bentley. It was written by Gerald Verner based on his novel The Show Must Go On. A chorus girl investigates a series of mysterious happenings at a derelict theatre.
Time Is My Enemy is a 1954 British crime film directed by Don Chaffey and starring Dennis Price, Renée Asherson and Patrick Barr.
The Narrowing Circle is a 1956 British second feature ('B') crime film directed by Charles Saunders and starring Paul Carpenter, Hazel Court and Russell Napier. It was written by Doreen Montgomery based on the 1954 novel of the same title by Julian Symons. A crime writer finds himself framed for murder.
Circumstantial Evidence is a 1952 British second feature ('B') crime film directed by Daniel Birt and starring Rona Anderson, Patrick Holt and Frederick Leister. It was written by Allan MacKinnon.
Murder at 3 a.m. is a 1953 British second feature crime film directed by Francis Searle and starring Dennis Price, Peggy Evans and Rex Garner. It was written by John Ainsworth. A Scotland Yard detective investigates a series of attacks on women.
Hammer the Toff is a 1952 British second feature crime film directed by Maclean Rogers and starring John Bentley and Patricia Dainton. The film was based on the 1947 novel of the same name by John Creasey, the 17th in the series featuring upper-class sleuth Richard Rollinson, also known as "The Toff".
Murder at Scotland Yard is 1953 British crime film directed by Victor M. Gover and starring Tod Slaughter, Patrick Barr and Tucker McGuire. It is a sequel to King of the Underworld (1952).
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.
Anne Tucker McGuire was an American-born actress who appeared largely in British films and television. She married actor Tom Macaulay.
Never Look Back is a 1952 British second feature ('B') drama film directed by Francis Searle and starring Rosamund John, Hugh Sinclair and Guy Middleton. The screenplay concerns a newly appointed female barrister whose career is threatened by a former lover. It was made by Hammer Films at the Mancunian Studios in Manchester.
Deadly Nightshade is a 1953 British second feature ('B') crime drama film directed by John Gilling and starring Emrys Jones, Zena Marshall and John Horsely. The screenplay was by Lawrence Huntington. A convict on the run switches identities with a lookalike, only to find himself in even deeper trouble.
Operation Murder is a 1957 British 'B' crime film directed by Ernest Morris and starring Tom Conway, Patrick Holt and Sandra Dorne. It was written by Brian Clemens and produced by the Danzinger brothers.
Death of an Angel is a 1952 British 'B' crime drama film directed by Charles Saunders and starring Patrick Barr, Jane Baxter and Jean Lodge. The screenplay was by Reginald Long based on the play This is Mary's Chair by Frank King.
Johnny on the Spot is a 1954 British 'B' crime drama film directed by Maclean Rogers and starring Hugh McDermott, Elspet Gray and Paul Carpenter. It was written by Rogers based on the 1953 novel Paid in Full by Michael Cronin.
Mrs. Pym of Scotland Yard is a 1939 British comedy-drama film directed by Fred Elles starring Mary Clare in her only title role and Nigel Patrick in his film debut. It is based on the Mrs Pym novels by Nigel Morland, and written by Morland, who re-used the title for a 1946 book.
The Hangman Waits is a 1947 British second feature ('B') thriller film written, directed and produced by A. Barr Smith, starring Beatrice Campbell and John Turnbull. Shot documentary-style, the film tells the story of a murderer who comes to a grisly end.