The Switch is a 1963 British crime drama film directed by Peter Maxwell, and starring Anthony Steel, Zena Marshall and Conrad Phillips.[2] It was written by Philip Ridgeway and Colin Fraser. The film concerns a criminal gang that smuggles watches into the UK by hiding them in the petrol tank of a woman's car. It was Susan Shaw's last film.
| The Switch | |
|---|---|
 Opening credits | |
| Directed by | Peter Maxwell |
| Screenplay by | Philip Ridgeway Colin Fraser |
| Story by | Philip Ridgeway |
| Produced by | Philip Ridgeway Lance Comfort |
| Starring | Anthony Steel Zena Marshall Conrad Phillips |
| Cinematography | Stephen Dade |
| Edited by | Tom Simpson |
| Music by | Eric Spear |
Production company | Philip Ridgeway Productions |
| Distributed by | Rank Film Distributors |
Release date |
|
Running time | 69 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | £24,000[1] |
| Box office | £22,009 (as at 31 Dec 1965)[1] |
Plot
editCustoms officer Bill Craddock is investigating a watch smuggling ring but reaches a dead end. Caroline Markham returns from holiday to find her flat occupied by her flatmate's cousin, John Curry. Caroline is kidnapped by the watch smuggling gang who think she has stolen their watches. Craddock rescues Caroline with the help of a miniature radio transmitter.
Cast
edit- Anthony Steel as Bill Craddock
- Zena Marshall as Caroline Markham
- Conrad Phillips as John Curry
- Dermot Walsh as Inspector Tomlinson
- Susan Shaw as Search Officer
- Dawn Beret as Janice Lampton
- Jerry Desmonde as Customs Chief
- Arnold Diamond as Jean Lecraze
- Raymond Smith as Mandreos
- Tom Bowman as Polovski
- Arthur Lovegrove as Harry Lewis
- Gordon Boyd as Jack Knighton
- Kenneth Goodlet as Read
- Rose Alba as Bill's secretary
- Anthony Parker as Police Inspector
- Desmond Cullum-Jones as Merrall
- Yvonne Marsh as Nurse
- Jimmy Hanley as himself (uncredited)
- Peter Butterworth as fashion photographer (uncredited)
Production
editThis was Anthony Steel's first film in Britain in a number of years, following his move to Rome.[3]
Critical reception
editIn a contemporary review, The Monthly Film Bulletin said "Though the plot is largely routine, with the usual quota of coincidences and improbabilities, the film nevertheless has a quality of freshness in the bright and artless way it is treated. It bowls along quite merrily, and despite the hackneyed story, successfully avoids dullness"[4]
According to TV Guide, "Audiences are likely to check their watches frequently during this lifeless crime thriller."[5]
References
edit- ^ a b Laura Mayne (2017) Whatever happened to the British ‘B’ movie? Micro-budget film-making and the death of the one-hour supporting feature in the early 1960s, Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, 37:3, 559-576 p 567, DOI: 10.1080/01439685.2016.1220765
- ^ "The Switch". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
- ^ Vagg, Stephen (23 September 2020). "The Emasculation of Anthony Steel: A Cold Streak Saga". Filmink.
- ^ "The Switch". The Monthly Film Bulletin. 31 (360): 60. 1 January 1964 – via ProQuest.
- ^ "The Switch". TV Guide. Archived from the original on 11 October 2016. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
External links
edit- The Switch at IMDb
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