Appointment with Crime

Small-time hood Leo Martin (William Hartnell), fingered by the coppers when his colleagues abandoned him after a botched smash-and-grab, swears revenge when he gets out of the joint. I must admit that I watched this British crime-meller because it starred Hartnell, the 'First Doctor' in the Dr. Who canon, but he is pretty good in a stiff way as the vengeful, amoral con (other than 'gangster honour', his character doesn't have many redeeming qualities). The story is pretty bleak, with the criminal life coming across as seedy and unpleasant rather than dangerous but slightly glamorous, as is common in many American films. Joyce Howard is a standout as Carol, a 'taxi dancer' working for 6p/dance at a sleazy nightclub, who initially befriends Leo and believes his protestations of innocence and good intentions, as are Herbert Lom as the crime boss and Alan Wheatley as his mincing, effete minion. Also worth mentioning is Ivor Barnard as a diminutive but menacing hitman. The melodrama is laid on a bit thick, especially in the first 10 minutes, and film is choppy at times, suffering from poor editing either in the initial production or afterwards when dealing with the censors (an abrupt cut from a pivotal 'torture' scene suggests the latter). The buildup to the climax is good but the ending is a bit flat. All in all, good but not great. Anyone wanting to see a pre-Who Hartnell play a hardcase would be better off watching 'Brighton Rock' (1948), in which he plays Dallow, the second-in-command to psychotic gangster 'Pinkie' Brown (David Attenborough).