Murder in Soho

Jack La Rue plays a nightclub owner whom is keen to climb the social ladder and to swap his girlfriend for another with 'more class'. Given some of the people he is mixing with, including the double-crossing criminal he shoots, this hardly seems an unreasonable ambition. And with La Rue failing to come over as remotely menacing, you end up feeling rather sorry for him. So as a story it doesn't really work and I can understand those who found it all dreadfully dull. Though I found quite a bit to enjoy, including the opening sweeping views of the West-End of 1938 at night, and the nightclub scenes with the banter and the revelry that take up so much of the running time, including the amusing performance from the young Googie Withers, as well as the clothes of the period. A curiosity is the number of American actors involved. Surely they had not all made the long journey to Elstree to make a picture that was only ever going to be a supporting feature?

A dreadfully boring, dull and lifeless "crime" film that was originally released in the UK as MURDER IN SOHO in 1939 and then released in the States as MURDER IN THE NIGHT in 1940. I watched this last night and even at about only 70 minutes, the film dragged and nearly had me nodding off a couple of times. The film stars Jack La Rue as this big time night club owner and "criminal" who wants only things that the finer parts of life can offer. La Rue actually comes off as likable and is hard to take seriously as a gangster. As a matter of fact, if you look quickly at him from time to time, he resembles Ricky Ricardo! Sandra Storme gives a horrid performance as the new night club act who's help is requested by Scotland Yard to help put an end to La Rue's "criminal reign". A total of four gunshots are fired in the film and there is absolutely no action. Instead you get nearly 70 minutes of hokey dialogue, song and dance and terrible stabs at comedic relief. All in all, a pretty awful movie.

Yet another British crime film presenting Soho as synonymous with glamour and vice, this particular variation on the theme being plush but garrulous.

As usual the supporting cast provides such compensations as Googie Withers cast against type as a dizzy blonde and a young, moustacheless Arthur O'Connell billed eighth as a half-witted gunsel called 'Lefty'. (O'Connell was appearing in the West End in 'Golden Boy' at the time, hence his unexpected presence in a pre-war British quickie.)

Jack la rue is steve marco, owner of the cotton club in london. Just as someone gets murdered in his club, the coppers show up. Although the questioning goes like a sketch from the three stooges. Lots of drinking, partying. The picture quality on the version I saw is just terrible. Various scenes are all faded, blurred, and washed out white. The sound is passable, but not great. It's a lot of work to get through this one, with the so-so story, something about gangsters, vaudeville acts, missing pearls. The shady acting, and the snap, crackle, and pops. The only notable thing here is bernard lee, who will play "m" in the bond films twenty years later. Directed by brit norman lee, for associated british pictures. Not likely to be restored, so skip this one.

A dreadfully boring, dull and lifeless "crime" film that was originally released in the UK as MURDER IN SOHO in 1939 and then released in the States as MURDER IN THE NIGHT in 1940. I watched this last night and even at about only 70 minutes, the film dragged and nearly had me nodding off a couple of times. The film stars Jack La Rue as this big time night club owner and "criminal" who wants only things that the finer parts of life can offer. La Rue actually comes off as likable and is hard to take seriously as a gangster. As a matter of fact, if you look quickly at him from time to time, he resembles Ricky Ricardo! Sandra Storme gives a horrid performance as the new night club act who's help is requested by Scotland Yard to help put an end to La Rue's "criminal reign". A total of four gunshots are fired in the film and there is absolutely no action. Instead you get nearly 70 minutes of hokey dialogue, song and dance and terrible stabs at comedic relief. All in all, a pretty awful movie.