SALUTE THE TOFF

Arthur Hill, John Bentley, Peter Gawthorne

SALUTE THE TOFF (1951). Director: Maclean Rogers. Colorized. 

Richard Rollinson, popularly known as the amateur sleuth the Toff (John Bentley), is importuned to look into the disappearance of a man named Jimmy Draycott (Tony Britton), whose secretary, Fay (Carol Marsh), is clearly in love with him. Draycott has a rival for her affections in reporter Ted Harrison (Arthur Hill). Inspector Grice (Valentine Dyall of The Horror of It All) just wishes the Toff would stay out of Scotland Yard's hair, but he manages to dig up information that Grice can't. Mixed up in the disappearance are several shady characters, including Mr. and Mrs. Lorne (Peter Bull and Shelagh Fraser), and the eldery Mortimer Harvey (Peter Gawthorne). The Toff's butler, Jolly (Roddy Hughes) is ever on hand to supply tea and crumpets, bits of information, and a good right hook when required. 

John Bentley as the Toff

The Toff was a creation of popular mystery writer John Creasey, who may have also written the script for this film. John Bentley was perfect casting, as he was in many of these British thrillers, sometimes playing good guys such as Rollinson or Paul Temple and sometimes not. It may seem odd to find Arthur Hill in this picture, but in his youth he went to England from Canada and had a good career on the British stage, as well as in films, before going to the U.S. where he appeared in many movies and starred as Owen Marshall, Counselor-at-Law on television. Salute the Toff is an okay UK crime picture which moves fairly fast but never quite erupts into anything especially memorable. Maclean Rogers also directed John Bentley in Calling Paul Temple.

Verdict: Undistinguished English thriller has a good cast and some good moments. **1/4.