The Hornet's Nest is a 1955 British second feature ('B')[1] crime comedy film directed by Charles Saunders and starring Paul Carpenter, June Thorburn, and Marla Landi.[2] It was written by Allan MacKinnon.[3]
| The Hornet's Nest | |
|---|---|
 DVD cover | |
| Directed by | Charles Saunders |
| Written by | Allan MacKinnon |
| Produced by | Guido Coen |
| Starring | Paul Carpenter June Thorburn Marla Landi |
| Cinematography | Harry Waxman |
| Edited by | Margery Saunders |
| Music by | Edwin Astley |
Production company | |
Release date |
|
Running time | 61 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Plot
editThief Posh Peterson hides his loot of £20,000 worth of jewels under the floor boards of an abandoned scow (named The Hornet's Nest) moored in London's Chelsea Embankment, but he is captured and thrown in jail after assaulting someone. Two young models, Pat and Terry, rent the vessel as a houseboat through Bob Bartlett, a friendly local salvage dealer acting as an intermediary for the rental agency.
Upon his release, Posh and his accomplices, headed by Mr Arnold, attempt to recover the loot, but it is no longer under the floor boards. After several plot twists, Bartlett eventually brings the crooks to justice. Having observed all these events from their vantage point, two neighbouring elderly sisters, Becky and Rachael Crumb, end up with the goods, which they gift to the two models to help them claim the £2,000 reward money.[4]
Cast
edit- Paul Carpenter as Bob Bartlett
- June Thorburn as Pat
- Marla Landi as Terry Savarese
- Alexander Gauge as Mr. Arnold
- Charles Farrell as Posh Peterson
- Larry Burns as Alfie
- Christine Silver as Becky Crumb
- Nora Nicholson as Rachael Crumb
- Christopher Steele as vicar
- Jan Holden as Miss Wentworth
- Ronnie Stevens as Bill, the photographer
- Max Brimmell as Staines
- Colin Douglas as Martin
- Wilfred Fletcher as Woolgar
- Trevor Reid as Detective Sergeant Filson
- Gaylord Cavallaro as Humphrey Holder
- Anita Bolster as Miss Anderson
- Stuart Nichol as publican (uncredited)
Critical reception
editThe Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "Comedy thriller of a modest and unsophisticated type, with a pleasant performance from Paul Carpenter and amusing Arsenic and Old Lace style playing by Christine Silver and Nora Nicholson as the Misses Crumb."[5]
Kine Weekly wrote: "The picture, typically English in design and execution, seldom hurries, but, nevertheless, mixes popular romance, artless humour and wholesome rough stuff effectively and culminates on a showmanlike note."[6]
In British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959 David Quinlan rated the film as "mediocre", writing: "Weak comedy-thriller on Arsenic and Old Lace lines."[7]
References
edit- ^ Chibnall, Steve; McFarlane, Brian (2009). The British 'B' Film. London: BFI/Bloomsbury. p. 128. ISBN 978-1-8445-7319-6.
- ^ "The Hornet's Nest". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
- ^ Gifford, Denis, ed. (2016). "1955". British Film Catalogue : Two Volume Set - The Fiction Film/The Non-Fiction Film. Vol. 1. Milton Park, Oxfordshire: Taylor & Francis. p. 627. ISBN 978-1-317-74062-9. Retrieved 16 December 2022 – via google.co.uk.
- ^ Clinton, Franz Antony (2020). "The Business of Crime". British Thrillers, 1950-1979. Jefferson NC: McFarland. pp. 202–203. ISBN 978-0-7864-1032-3. Retrieved 16 December 2022 – via google.co.uk.
- ^ "The Hornet's Nest". The Monthly Film Bulletin. 22 (252): 107. 1 January 1955. ProQuest 1305813600 – via ProQuest.
- ^ "The Hornet's Nest". Kine Weekly. 45 (2499): 18. 19 May 1955. ProQuest 2732603369 – via ProQuest.
- ^ Quinlan, David (1984). British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959. London: B.T. Batsford Ltd. p. 323. ISBN 0-7134-1874-5.
External links
edit- The Hornet's Nest at IMDb
- The Hornet's Nest at AllMovie
- The Hornet's Nest at the British Film Institute[better source needed]
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