The Embezzler (1954 film)

Last updated

The Embezzler
"The Embezzler" (1954).jpg
UK theatrical poster
Directed by John Gilling
Screenplay byJohn Gilling
Produced by Robert S. Baker
Monty Berman
Starring Charles Victor
Zena Marshall
Cyril Chamberlain
CinematographyJonah Jones
Edited byJack Slade
Music by John Lanchbery
Production
company
Kenilworth Film Productions
Distributed by General Film Distributors
Release date
  • 30 August 1954 (1954-08-30)
Running time
61 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

The Embezzler is a 1954 British crime film directed by John Gilling, and starring Charles Victor, Zena Marshall and Cyril Chamberlain. [1] It was made as a second feature shot at Twickenham Studios and on location around London. The film's sets were designed by the art director C. Wilfred Arnold.

Contents

The story concerns a bank cashier who steals cash from the bank where he is employed.

Plot

Henry Paulson, a quiet, respectable, henpecked, elderly bank cashier learns that he has only a couple of years left to live. He decides to embezzle money from the bank where he works and enjoy the rest of his days in South America. He books a train ticket at the travel agent and checks the itinerary of a ship and takes his suitcase to work on a quiet Friday afternoon hoping not to be discovered until Monday.

Caught in the act by his boss returning unexpectedly, the embezzler locks his boss in his office and flees to a seaside hotel in Eastbourne run by Mrs Larkin booking in under the name of Mr Laughton. There, he joins a group of residents including Mrs Forrest, who has problems of her own as she is being blackmailed by a former lover, Mr Johnson, recently released from prison. Johnson has tracked her down and booked into the same hotel. He thinks, as her husband is a GP, she will wish to hide her past. Johnson also tries to take advantage of fellow resident Miss Ackroyd, tricking her into giving him her string of pearls after deliberately snapping their thread.

Paulson hears Johnson threaten Mrs Forrest and follows her to investigate. He gives her the money she needs to give to Johnson in exchange for her love letters. After passing him the money Johnson demands a further £100 for the photostat copies he has made. Johnson returns Miss Ackroyd her pearls but then tricks her out of a valuable ring and into withdrawing her savings from the bank. He says they are engaged. Meanwhile the serial numbers of the missing notes start to appear in town. Johnson works out who Paulson is and blackmails him too, demanding half his stolen money. They chat in Paulson's room and Johnson helps himself to whisky. Paulson poisons the whisky for Johnson's next visit. Johnson works out what has happened and runs off. He meets Dr Foster on the stairs and they fight just as the police arrive downstairs.

The fight with Johnson brings on Paulson's heart condition, and he dies. Dr Forrest tells his wife that he already knew about Johnson before they married. [2] [3]

Cast

Critical reception

Sky Movies calls the film a "fascinating British co-feature which supplied the elderly but excellent Charles Victor (also a perfect Inspector Teal in The Saint's Return ) with his only leading role, as an embezzler". [4]

Related Research Articles

<i>The Murder of Roger Ackroyd</i> 1926 detective novel by Agatha Christie

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is a detective novel by the British writer Agatha Christie, her third to feature Hercule Poirot as the lead detective. The novel was published in the UK in June 1926 by William Collins, Sons, having previously been serialised as Who Killed Ackroyd? between July and September 1925 in the London Evening News. An American edition by Dodd, Mead and Company followed in 1926.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jean Cadell</span> Scottish actress (1884–1967)

Jean Dunlop Cadell was a Scottish character actress. Although her married name was Jean Dunlop Perceval-Clark she retained her maiden name in the context of acting.

<i>Murder Ahoy!</i> 1964 British film by George Pollock

Murder Ahoy! is the last of four Miss Marple films made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer that starred Margaret Rutherford. As in the previous three, Murder, She Said (1961), Murder at the Gallop (1963), Murder Most Foul (1964), the actress plays Agatha Christie's amateur sleuth Miss Jane Marple, with Charles 'Bud' Tingwell as (Chief) Inspector Craddock and Stringer Davis playing Mr. Stringer.

<i>Alibi</i> (play) Play written by Michael Morton

Alibi is a 1928 play by Michael Morton based on The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, a 1926 novel by British crime writer Agatha Christie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Horsley (actor)</span> English actor (1920–2014)

John Lovell Horsley was a British actor.

<i>The Suspect</i> (1944 film) 1944 American film directed by Robert Siodmak

The Suspect is a 1944 American film noir starring Charles Laughton and Ella Raines, and directed by Robert Siodmak. Set in Edwardian London in 1902, it is based on the 1939 novel This Way Out, by James Ronald, and was released by Universal Pictures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marianne Stone</span> English actress (1922–2009)

Marianne Stone was an English character actress. She performed in films from the early 1940s to the late 1980s, typically playing working class parts such as barmaids, secretaries and landladies. Stone appeared in nine of the Carry On films, and took part in an episode of the Carry On Laughing television series. She also had supporting roles with comedian Norman Wisdom.

<i>The Scarlet Car</i> (1917 film) 1917 film

The Scarlet Car is a 1917 American silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse and featuring Lon Chaney, Edith Johnson, and Franklyn Farnum. The film was written by William Parker, based upon the novel The Scarlet Car by Richard Harding Davis, which also served as the basis of a 1923 Universal film of the same name. A print of the 1917 film exists at the Library of Congress, and the movie is available on DVD. Clips from the film were used in the 1995 documentary Lon Chaney: Behind the Mask. A still exists showing Lon Chaney in his own make-up as the protagonist "Paul Revere Forbes".

<i>Payment Deferred</i> (film) 1932 film

Payment Deferred is a 1932 American pre-Code crime drama film directed by Lothar Mendes and starring Charles Laughton, Maureen O'Sullivan and Dorothy Peterson. Laughton portrays a man so desperate for money, he resorts to murder. It was based on the 1931 play of the same name by Jeffrey Dell, which was in turn based on the 1926 novel of the same name by C. S. Forester. Laughton also played the lead role in the play, which opened on Broadway on September 30, 1931 and ran for 70 performances.

<i>Chain of Events</i> 1958 film

Chain of Events is a 1958 British crime film directed by Gerald Thomas based on a radio play by Leo McKern. It features Susan Shaw, Dermot Walsh, Jack Watling, Freddie Mills and Joan Hickson.

<i>Lady in the Fog</i> 1952 British film by Sam Newfield

Lady in the Fog is a 1952 British mystery film directed by Sam Newfield and starring Cesar Romero, Lois Maxwell and Bernadette O'Farrell. It is based on a BBC serial by Lester Powell as scripted by Orville H. Hampton. It was made by Lippert Productions and Hammer Films at the Riverside Studios in Hammersmith. The film's sets were designed by the art director Wilfred Arnold. It was released in the United States by Lippert under the alternative title Scotland Yard Inspector.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Victor</span> British actor (1896–1965)

Charles Victor was a British actor who appeared in many film and television roles between 1931 and 1965. He was born Charles Victor Harvey.

<i>Seven Keys</i> (film) 1961 British film by Pat Jackson

Seven Keys is a 1961 British second feature crime thriller directed by Pat Jackson and starring Alan Dobie. The screenplay was by Jack Davies and Henry Blyth.

<i>Marry Me!</i> (1949 film) 1949 British film

Marry Me! is a 1949 British comedy film directed by Terence Fisher, and starring Derek Bond, Susan Shaw, Patrick Holt, Carol Marsh and David Tomlinson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cyril Chamberlain</span> English actor (1909–1974)

Cyril Chamberlain was an English film and television actor. He appeared in a number of the early Carry On, Doctor and St. Trinian's films.

<i>Just My Luck</i> (1957 film) 1957 British film by John Paddy Carstairs

Just My Luck is a 1957 British sports comedy film directed by John Paddy Carstairs and starring Norman Wisdom, Margaret Rutherford, Jill Dixon and Leslie Phillips.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patrick Jordan</span> British actor (1923–2020)

Albert Patrick Jordan was a British stage, film and television actor.

<i>Radio Cab Murder</i> 1954 British film by Vernon Sewell

Radio Cab Murder is a 1954 British second feature crime film directed by Vernon Sewell and starring Jimmy Hanley, Lana Morris and Sonia Holm. It was made by the independent Eros Films.

<i>Solo for Sparrow</i> 1962 British film by Gordon Flemyng

Solo for Sparrow is a 1962 British second feature ('B') crime film directed by Gordon Flemyng and starring Glyn Houston, Anthony Newlands and Nadja Regin, with Michael Caine in an early supporting role. It was written by Roger Marshall based on the 1928 Edgar Wallace novel The Gunner, and produced by Jack Greenwood and Abhinandan Nikhanj as part of the Edgar Wallace Mysteries series.

The Gentle Terror is a 1961 British thriller film directed by Frank Marshall.

References

  1. ↑ "BFI | Film & TV Database | The EMBEZZLER (1954)". Ftvdb.bfi.org.uk. 16 April 2009. Archived from the original on 17 January 2009. Retrieved 13 April 2014.
  2. ↑ Marshall. "The Embezzler (1954) - Trailers, Reviews, Synopsis, Showtimes and Cast". AllMovie. Retrieved 13 April 2014.
  3. ↑ "The Embezzler | Film review and movie reviews". Radio Times. Retrieved 13 April 2014.
  4. ↑ "The Embezzler - Sky Movies HD". Skymovies.sky.com. 20 May 2003. Retrieved 13 April 2014.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.