Mantrap, released in the United States as Man in Hiding, is a 1953 British second feature[1] whodunit directed by Terence Fisher, starring Paul Henreid and Lois Maxwell.[2] It was written by Fisher and Paul Tabori based on the 1952 novel Queen in Danger by Trevor Dudley-Smith.
| Mantrap | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Terence Fisher |
| Written by | Terence Fisher Paul Tabori |
| Based on | the novel "Queen in Danger" by Trevor Dudley-Smith |
| Produced by | Michael Carreras Alexander Paal |
| Starring | Paul Henreid Lois Maxwell Kieron Moore Hugh Sinclair Kay Kendall |
| Cinematography | Reginald H. Wyer |
| Edited by | James Needs |
| Music by | Doreen Carwithen |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | United Artists (USA) Exclusive Films (UK) |
Release date |
|
Running time | 73 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Plot
editA falsely convicted murderer escapes prison to seek out the real killer and to clear his name.
Cast
edit- Paul Henreid as Hugo Bishop
- Lois Maxwell as Thelma Speight
- Kieron Moore as Speight
- Hugh Sinclair as Maurice Jerrard
- Lloyd Lamble as Inspector Frisnay
- Anthony Forwood as Rex
- Bill Travers as Victor Tasman
- Mary Laura Wood as Susie Martin
- Kay Kendall as Vera Gorringe
- Conrad Phillips as Det. Sgt. Barker
- John Stuart as doctor
Production
editThe film was made by Hammer Films and shot at the Bray Studios and on location in London, mostly near St Paul's Cathedral.[citation needed]
Paul Henreid previously starred in Stolen Face (1952), also directed by Fisher, for similarly low salary and royalties.[3]
Critical reception
editIn British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959 David Quinlan rated the film as "mediocre", writing: "Good cast adrift in an archly contrived thriller."[4]
The Radio Times Guide to Films gave the film 2/5 stars, writing: "Paul Henreid, that oily smoothie from Casablanca [1942] and Now, Voyager [1942], here washes up in the torrid, tawdry, cheapskate world of the British quota quickie. Lois Maxwell plays a wife who changes her name and begins a new life after her husband is convicted of murder. When he escapes, she goes to private detective Henreid for help. Maxwell later found fame as Miss Moneypenny in the Bond films."[5]
References
edit- ^ Chibnall, Steve; McFarlane, Brian (2009). The British 'B' Film. London: BFI/Bloomsbury. p. 80. ISBN 978-1-8445-7319-6.
- ^ "Mantrap". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
- ^ Henreid, Paul; Fast, Julius (1984). Ladies man : an autobiography. St. Martin's Press. p. 200.
- ^ Quinlan, David (1984). British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959. London: B.T. Batsford Ltd. p. 344. ISBN 0-7134-1874-5.
- ^ Radio Times Guide to Films (18th ed.). London: Immediate Media Company. 2017. p. 590. ISBN 9780992936440.
External links
edit
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