The Long Arm (1957)

the audience applauded

Yo, there's no way for me to review this film without saying, take your *insert ethnicity + "ass" here* to see this film,like now. You have to see it in order to know what you're really messing with.

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Very solid brit crime drama. Fine performance from Jack Hawkins. Thankfully, not so much stiff upper lip as we were used, the humour between Hawkins and his sidekick the John Stratton bubbles along and the mechanics of the plot is nicely constructed and presented. A veritable glut of fine British actors both future stars like Ian Bannon and Stratford Johns and small part favourites like Sam Kydd and Harold Goodwin. Also keep an eye out for a young Nicholas Parsons playing a copper. If you're a resident of London it will be fascinating looking at the sites of our capital and seeing how much it has changed. An undiscovered gem worth digging out

To give you some idea how small the world of British TV and movies really is,seven of the actors featured in "The Long Arm" went on to appear in either "Z Cars" and its spin - off "Softly,softly"(or both) and the marvellous Arthur Rigby was a cornerstone of "Dixon of Dock Green". Here they all enjoy a Policemans's Holiday in a rather exciting Jack Hawkins feature that packs in a lot of action in a relatively short time. Sharp and well - scripted,it features many actors beloved of 1950s moviegoers who seldom disappointed their admirers.Mr Hawkins' name on the poster could certainly put bums on seats and he was at the height of his pulling - power in 1956.His strange mixture of kindness and irascibility hit a chord with the British audience and he picked his parts accordingly.As Supt Halliday he has the 1950s senior detective off pat.Not afraid to wield power,sure of his place in the order of things but,overall,decent and fair - minded. Noir - ish but in no way an early "hommage","The Long Arm" is a superior offering in the police - procedural style that will please lovers of British Crime Movies from the age of innocence long before the "No Comment" interview was invented.

Apart from the unique acting style of Jack Hawkins (before his so sad illness), one thing which marks this film out from modern detective yarns is that the detective work follows logical sequences - little depends on chance and nothing on fantastic coincidences.It is a rattling good yarn - I only wish the same could be said of todays films.And the supporting cast!!! Ian Bannen gets run over and killed and (Sir) Alec McCowan is an unimportant doctor. But everyone has to start somewhere.Those were the daysGerald (aged 72)

In this cracking black and white police drama, Ealing comes up trumps yet again. Made in 1956, with good locations in and around London, the story concerns Jack Hawkins, as Superintendent Halliday, who has to track down, a very clever cat burglar, who is an expert in disguises.What makes this film so interesting, is that Hawkins, trying to reproduce the character, made a similar film, 2 years later, called 'Gideon of Scotland Yard', which was shot in colour by the great John Ford. Where 'Long Arm' succeeded in every way, 'Gideon' was a shambles. It just proves that the one of greatest directors in Hollywood history, and a good cast , are hamstrung, without a reasonable script. 'Long Arm' holds you in suspense right up the final scene, even when you know, that the cinema code of the day, will not allow the villain to escape. A good supporting cast from a large range of well known British actors, makes this film a must to see. 8 out of 10.