The Lamp in Assassin Mews

The Lamp in Assassin Mews
U.K. theatrical release poster
Directed by	Godfrey Grayson
Written by	Mark Grantham (as M.M. McCormick)
Produced by	Brian Taylor
Starring	Francis Matthews Lisa Daniely Ian Fleming Amy Dalby
Cinematography	Lionel Banes
Edited by	John Dunsford
Music by	Bill LeSage
Production company	Danziger Productions
Distributed by	United Artists
Release date	1962 (1962)
Running time	65 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

The Lamp in Assassin Mews is a 1962 'B' ^[1] British black comedy crime film directed by Godfrey Grayson and starring Francis Matthews, Lisa Daniely and Ian Fleming. ^{[2] [3]} It was written by Mark Grantham (as M.M. McCormick).

The film's plot concerns opposition to a local council's plans to modernise an area, which includes murder. ^[4]

Plot

Modernising councillor Jack Norton becomes the target of a couple of elderly serial killers when he supports plans to remove the last gas lamp in their street.

Cast

• Francis Matthews as Jack Norton
• Lisa Daniely as Mary Clarke
• Ian Fleming as Albert Potts
• Amy Dalby as Victoria Potts
• Ann Sears as Ruth
• Anne Lawson  [ fr ] as Ella
• Derek Tansley as Jarvis
• John Lewis as Harpingdon
• Ann Lancaster as Mrs Dowling
• Colin Tapley as Inspector
• Douglas Ives as Gault
• Dorothea Phillips as Mrs Burke

Reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "A curious blend of romance and comedy tinged with drama, the story is puerile, and many might feel that the murderous old pair, likeable though they may be, are not at all funny. Undeniably this sort of macabre comedy has been done successfully before, but here it does not come off. The musical score makes extensive use of a motif which appeared briefly in Three Spare Wives ." ^[5]

In The British 'B' Film Chibnall and McFarlane called the film "a sub-Ealing crime comedy." ^[1]

References

1. Chibnall, Steve; McFarlane, Brian (2009). The British 'B' Film. London: BFI/Bloomsbury. p. 156. ISBN   978-1-8445-7319-6.
2. "The Lamp in Assassin Mews". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
3. "The Lamp in Assassin Mews (1962)". BFI. Archived from the original on 19 January 2009.
4. "The Lamp in Assassin Mews". britmovie.co.uk.
5. "The Lamp in Assassin Mews". The Monthly Film Bulletin . 29 (336): 140. 1 January 1962. ProQuest   1305824058.

External links

• The Lamp in Assassin Mews at IMDb