Meet Mr. Callaghan (1954)

Gripping story with well-crafted characters

Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

MEET MR. CALLAGHAN is a detective story devoid of detection and interest. It just sort of plods along from beginning to end without ever engaging the senses or providing even fitful entertainment. There's a mildly exciting opening murder sequence and it all goes downhill from there as the viewer is introduced to one of the dullest lead characters ever in a film from the era.Derrick De Marney plays the hero, who is a kind of 'gentleman sleuth', a variety beloved back in the day. He underplays it to the point of catalepsy; never has a film cried out for a more lively and invigorated hero than this one. The mystery itself is a plodding affair with the villains given little screen time and a general lack of clue-solving and detection which makes it a very boring experience. More time is spent with the insufferable policeman (Trevor Reid) harassing the protagonist than on the actual plot. Adrienne Corri makes a mark in an early role.

Derrick De Marney is the worst actor i have ever seen in my entire life, he reads his lines like he is talking about the most boring things in the world, this guy (not actor) could cure insomnia, i would loved to watch the film it sounded interesting but 5 minutes of his pathetic acting is all i could stand. He is like one of these 60's gay actor is given the job just because he is gay rather than having any acting skills, i find it hard to believe he has been to any acting school at all, other than his school play & probably put all the parents into a coma. Just what the director was thinking about casting him is beyond belief just looking at the daily shoots should have told him he is totally miscast, private detective? he looks more like a party nerd or insufferable bore.

Derrick de Marney plays private detective Slim Callaghan in this fast paced British mystery. Callaghan is a bright, fast talking fellow, but still his detective agency has fallen on hard times. So when a young socialite drops in at his office close to midnight and drops 500 pounds sterling on his desk he jumps at the case. The heiress wants Callaghan to protect her as she fears her wealthy stepfather may be murdered and that the guilty person will implicate her.Callaghan smells something fishy right away, but can't turn down the cash. When he learns that the stepfather has already been murdered he begins to suspect his client may be the killer. Still, he works hard and quickly to gather information. He probes all angles and doesn't miss a chance to fatten his own wallet at every opportunity.This is the second film based on the character created by Peter Cheyney. The first film is Uneasy Terms, with Michael Rennie playing Slim Callaghan.

This is a neat, entertaining and witty British movie from the 1950's which is very much enhanced by an excellent lead performance by Derrick De Marney as Slim Callaghan. Based on a Peter Cheyney novel, and featuring his main character of Callaghan, the film moves along at a brisk pace, and the plot, which is quite involved, never sags and retains the viewers interest all the way. This is helped in no small way by a sharp and vibrant script. Although other actors have portrayed Slim Callaghan, there is little doubt that De Marney is by far the best. His laconic and downbeat style fits the character perfectly, and it is a pity that it was never put to further good purpose. In many ways, he provides a perfect comparison to similar American-style gumshoes in movies from the 40's and 50's, in particular. The scene in the nightclub, when he is tempted by singer Adrienne Corri, is a joy of deadpan expression and he certainly carries this film along in a thoroughly expert way. You are left with the distinct impression that this is how the author imagined his main character to be. All in all, a film well worth catching and one that should gain a wider audience.