HAMMER THE TOFF

Patricia Dainton and John Bentley

HAMMER THE TOFF (1952). Director: Maclean Rogers. 

Susan Lancaster (Patricia Dainton of The House in Marsh Road) is the niece of a professor (Ian Fleming, not the creator of James Bond), who has developed a secret formula for a certain process useful in defense. When he is murdered via a hypodermic needle in a briefcase, Richard Rollison (John Bentley of The Flaw), aka The Toff, takes it upon himself to protect Susan from a nefarious character called the Hammer. Up to now the Hammer has been seen as a kind of Robin Hood, helping the poor people of the East End of London, but now he and his gang are resorting to murder. Or is there another person calling himself the Hammer? With the help of Inspector Grice (Valentine Dyall), Sergeant Barrow (Ben Williams) and Rollison's major domo Jolly (Roddy Hughes), the Toff tries to find out the truth. Then Susan is kidnapped ... 

John Robinson with Bentley 

Hammer the Toff is the second of two films starring Bentley as the John Creasy creation the Toff -- the first was Salute the Toff -- and it is much better than the first, with a more complicated storyline and a lot of action. Bentley is perfection as the Toff. The entire cast plays this kind of light yet dramatic material with panache. John Robinson gives a smooth performance as a suspect and never quite gives away his guilt or innocence. Wally Patch is the crusty but likable bar owner who briefly turns against the Toff when he thinks he's betrayed an associate to the police. 

Verdict: Well turned out British suspense film. ***. 

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. 

THE HORROR OF IT ALL

Erica Rogers and Pat Boone

THE HORROR OF IT ALL (1964). Director: Terence Fisher. 

American Jack Robinson (Pat Boone) comes to the isolated mansion of his British fiancee, Cynthia (Erica Rogers), only to discover that his timing is off. It seems that cousin Creighton has passed away and is laid out in the parlor. Soon Jack learns that one of Cynthia's relatives -- spirited Cornwallis (Dennis Price); spooky Natalia (Andree Melly); somber Reginald (Valentine Dyall); mad inventor Percival (Jack Blight); senile Grandpa (Eric Chitty); and crazy Muldoon (Archie Duncan) -- has begun murdering off the others for an inheritance. 

Dennis Price and Pat Boone

The Horror of It All is a silly black comedy that bears a striking and suspicious resemblance to William Castle's remake of The Old Dark House, which came out the year before. There are so many similarities that I've no doubt many viewers have confused the two pictures over the years. (Adding to the confusion is that a later film, No Place Like Homicide aka What a Carve Up! also has a similar plot.) The Horror of It All was written by Ray Russell, who worked with Castle on Mr. Sardonicus (from Russell's novel). The Old Dark House was written by Robert Dillon, and both Dillon and Russell worked on the screenplay for the Ray Milland film, X: The Man with X-Ray Eyes. 

Boone in a death trap

In any case, The Old Dark House is somewhat better than Horror. Although no one would ever confuse him with Cary Grant, Boone gives a perfectly good comic performance in this. Dennis Price and the other cast members play with enthusiasm as well. This will never go down as one of Hammer horror specialist Terence Fisher's [The Gorgon] more memorable movies, unfortunately. A scene when Boone is nearly crushed in a locked room with a descending ceiling is only mildly exciting for instance. Boone sings the acceptable title tune halfway through the movie. The best scene has Price describing to Boone the various awful ways in which his ancestors died. "A blighted people, a family accursed," says he. Interestingly, The Addams Family TV showed debuted this same year. 

Verdict: Watchable sort-of remake of Old Dark House. **1/4.