Purely Joyful Movie!

Please don't spend money on this.

Disturbing yet enthralling

It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

It's very difficult to make a movie that is both amusing and exciting, let alone one that spoofs its own pedigree. But thanks to Roy Baker's excellent direction and the efforts of a stellar cast, this effort succeeds admirably on all counts. True, it does take at least ten minutes to warm up, but we need that time to get used to Margaret Lockwood's new, shorter hair style. I actually prefer women with long hair. Short hair seems so boyish to me, but it is certainly appropriate in this instance. Anyway, Margaret Lockwood and Dane Clark easily walk away with the acting honors, if only for the fact that all the other roles are either small or very small. Marius Goring is obviously operating at a slow speed in order to stretch out his screen time – a ploy which is not successful because it helps us to lose interest in the character. He's there, mooning about and looking ominous, but so tongue-tied, he doesn't really seem to pose a threat to our heroine at all. True, he may be cunning, but on the other hand, he may be just a slow-witted dope. As I say, no threat to our heroine at all! Margaret is also supported by a whole mob of really vigorous farceurs (no doubts about them, they're obviously all on our side) led by Naunton Wayne and Marius Goring (of all people). It's also good to record that the music score is particularly adept. And last but not least, I'd agree with other reviewers that director Roy Ward Baker manages to give this comedy/thriller a bit of style – which must have been hard to do, given the way the script jumps around from comic capers to suspenseful episodes, especially those involving Margaret and Marius! I tend to feel that other reviewers missed the point or got lost, Admittedly, I watched the itv DVD twice!

Margaret Lockwood plays an expert entomologist who is approached by her government and asked to do a bit of spying. Apparently, an unfriendly nation (you assume it's in the Communist Bloc) might be working on some horrible biological warfare delivery system and they need an expert to check it out first hand. Now here is the first part that doesn't make much sense--they give this ordinary woman no training and just toss her into the country! How anyone expected her to succeed is beyond me. Not surprisingly, she's eventually caught and interrogated. They even use some sort of truth serum on her. Now here is where the odd twist occurs--the interrogation actually HELPS her, as she begins to believe she is a character from a radio spy program. Once she's released (because she gave them no information), she's told she has 24 hours to leave the nation--and she springs into action like a super-spy. Along for the ride is a confused American correspondent (Dane Clark). How it all comes out is something you'll just need to see for yourself.While I have noticed that many didn't care for the film, it isn't because the idea couldn't be worked out well. No, the problem is the pacing--which is dreadfully slow. Additionally, the film could have used an injection of humor and energy. Now this DID occur decades later, when the story idea was reworked into the delightful comedy "American Dreamer" (with JoBeth Williams)...now THAT'S a film worth seeing. Otherwise, "Highly Dangerous" is a slow time-passer that should have been so much better. After all, it IS an espionage film and that should be very interesting.

Frances (Margaret Lockwood) volunteers to go into an Eastern un-named country (with a peculiar un-named language that the actors have had to learn) as a spy to smuggle back insects that are being used in the development of germ warfare. When her contact Alf (Eugene Deckers) is murdered, she continues her mission with reporter Bill (Dane Clark). However, the Chief of Police, Razinski (Marius Goring) seems to pop up at every stage of her mission......The problem with this film is that there is no real tension or feeling of danger. The lives of Frances and Bill are in danger and yet there is no suspense. They should have been more scared. Dane Clark is like-able but what have they done to Lockwood? She looks like Angela Rippon (English newsreader from the 1970's with terrible, frumpy hair). Lockwood's look is NOT good. Turning to the rest of the cast, they are all fine.The plot is extremely daft with the inclusion of some nonsense about how Frances incorporates a radio show to determine her actions in order to get the job done. There are also numerous unreal situations, eg, the escape to the woods by Frances and Bill with a whole army unit combing the grounds for them. Basically, these two clowns would have been caught and shot. For the sake of the film, we have a different outcome. Overall, it's lightweight fluff but I'm not sure this was the intention.

Although I agree with most of the criticisms in the negative review already posted - I have just watched this movie on TV over lunch and really quite enjoyed it, which is why I came to this site to be reminded of the cast. I was surprised to see Anthony Newly's name - didn't recognise him. Margaret Lockwood looks much prettier than in many of her other films - her mouth is less prominent and her hair better groomed. Although I don't think it is worth seeing more than once - I do think it is pleasurable enough to watch once. Plenty of films are made of which that is not so. So if you haven't seen it - you won't hate it. It's just not absolutely terrific.