Wow! Such a good movie.

It is a performances centric movie

everything you have heard about this movie is true.

disgusting, overrated, pointless

SYNOPSIS: London police nail a fence known as "The Squeaker" who anonymously tips off the bobbies to crooks who will not meet his price.NOTES: A re-make of a 1930 movie directed by Edgar Wallace himself from his own screenplay. Percy Marmont, Anne Grey, Gordon Harker and Nigel Bruce were cast. (The Carlton DVD rates at least nine out of ten).COMMENT: This Edgar Wallace thriller has a marvelously atmospheric Rozsa score which is worth the price of admission alone. Plus a couple of songs, "He's Gone" and "I Can't Get Along Without You" by the lovely Tamara Desni. Plus Robert Newton in a typically rattled role, but managing to look suave and elegant as well. Nonetheless, despite its sterling production qualities, the movie does look somewhat old-fashioned these days - an impression that is heightened by the rather stilted dialogue provided by Edward O. Berkman in his screenplay. And the finale did not convince me at all. I cannot believe that the man built up to be such a mastermind could so easily become rattled. Howard's direction is at its best when people are moving, rather than speaking. Photography by Georges Perinal is most attractive. And speaking of "attractive", Miss Todd looks very fetching indeed.

After some pearls are stolen, Scotland Yard make it a prority to catch the titular underworld figure, a silent, mysterious fence who rats on other thieves. Edmund Lowe (apparently reprising a stage role) is an alcaholic former detective given a chance to crack the case undercover. He gets a confession in the jarring final reel by intimidating the main suspect in a slightly macabre way, the only part that comes close to conveying the dark streaks of Edgar Wallace's fiction (it's based on one of his books, and son Bryan Edgar worked on the "scenario"). Otherwise it's a passable but routine b/w crime caper (with a loud, excitable score from Miklos Rozsa, an early credit). Notable are German Tamara Desni as a beautiful (and rather good) nightclub singer and dancer, and Alastair Sim as a comic-relief lazy newspaper reporter. With Sebastian Shaw, Ann Todd, Robert Newton, Allan Jeayes, Stewart Rome, Gordon McLeod, Syd Crossley, Alf Goddard, Danny Green, Fred Groves, Bill Shine, Ben Williams and an uncredited Michael Rennie as a medical examiner. Also available is a very different German adaptation from 1963. Other German versions were in 1931 and 1959 (for TV). An earlier British version (1930) was directed by Wallace himself (who passed away in '32). Howard also directed a 1932 adaptation of SHERLOCK HOLMES.Movie reviews at: spinegrinderweb.com

I just watched this tonight on channel 2 here in Australia. I can't improve on the previous chap's review (spanishflea50), as I think he summed it up very well. The only thing I can say is that I enjoyed it as well, and as I watched it, I thought this has to be have been written by Edgar Wallace (I'm a bit of a fan of his books) from the pace & style of the story to even the title, so I came to the IMDb site to find out who wrote it. Unfortunately, Edgar Wallace had been dead for ~ 4years by the time this film was released, but it is based on a novel & a screenplay he wrote for the 1930 version of the film. It would be great to be able to see the 1930 version which was actually directed by Wallace.(IMDb for 1930 -'The Squeaker')

I caught the film on the Studio channel after setting my TiVo to record anything with Alastair Sim in. As the film progressed I went from smiling at it's old-fashioned mannerisms to a real enjoyment of the storyline and the characterisation. Edgar Wallace crime novels sold in their millions in the thirties and forties and would have guarenteed a healthy audience at the cinema. The plot is quite simple: a 'fence' is operating in London and covering his tracks by framing his criminal associates ('squeaking' on them). A sacked detective with a drinking problem is given a chance to redeem himself by exposing 'The Squeaker'. Of course he falls in love with the scoundrel's respectable and innocent fiance in the process. Alastair Sim, one of my favourite actors of this era, plays an investigative reporter with a rather over the top scottish accent. Also of interest are what appear to be a music hall double act (sadly uncredited) as bell-boys in the numerous club scenes. The club scenes are an excuse to show off the minor plot character Tamara; a chanteuse in love the the squeaker's last victim. The dramatic denouement is The Squeaker's confession following unendurable psychological pressure applied by the suave, dapper Inspector Barrabel(played by Edmund Lowe - he looks rather like a poor man's Errol Flynn). Produced by the great Alexander Korda, this is highly entertaining.