Suspect 1960 Based on a Nigel Balchin novel called A Sort Of Traitors, screenplay by Nigel Balchin with additional dialog by Roy Boulting and Jeffrey Dell, directed by John Boulting and Roy Boulting. A rather low budget film set in the world of germs. Both films are on one Blu-ray in the Cushing Curiosities Box Set from Severn. It's also known as The Risk.
A group of British scientists are working on cures for diseases like bubonic plague, they want to publish but the government says there's a chance that the work could be used to create dangerous diseases to attack Britain. Peter Cushing plays Professor Sewell, he's the head of the group, he's resigned to giving into the government's wishes but his co-worker Bob Marriott (Tony Britton) is more upset at the ban. He thinks that the world needs to know of their research so other scientists can lend a hand.
Bob has an interest in his co-worker Lucy Byrne (Virginia Maskell) but she's devoted to her ex-fiance who lost his hands and arms in Korea. Ian Bannen plays the ex Alan Andrews. He refuses to marry her but he's willing to live with her and have her take care of him. He's a miserable man who needs to be in a care home. Lucy tells him about her trip to the movies with Bob, he becomes obsessed with Bob and wants to meet him.
Bob goes for a drink with Alan and Lucy, it's at the pub that Bob meets a pub acquaintance of Alan's called Mr Brown (Donald Pleasence). Bob talks too freely about his work problems in front of Mr Brown, the man suggests there are people who would help get the work out to other countries.
In the meantime the government has been taking an interest in the gaggle of scientists and their rather loose lips. Thorley Walters plays the enjoyable Mr Prince, he's head of a group of spies that are keeping an eye on the scientists, Sam Kydd plays his second hand man Slater. Bob gets talked into giving up some secrets by Mr Brown, he nearly goes through with the plan but he's discovered by Professor Sewell and Mr Prince. They set up the baddies for a fall and the scientists get back to work on the germs.
I liked this rather low throttle thriller a fair bit. The story is good, the characters are fairly developed and the low budget production isn't too distracting. There's a bit of humor, Spike Milligan plays the comic relief, his main foil is a chimp. I'd want to watch it again at some point. The film has a nice commentary by John Rigby and Kevin Lyons.
The Man Who Finally Died 1962 Based on a 1959 ITV series of the same name, screenplay by Lewis Griefer and Louis Marks, directed by Quentin Lawrence. Stanley Baker and Peter Cushing star in this mystery thriller set in Bavaria.
Stanley plays a musician Joe Newman, he'd been called Joachim Deutsch before WW2 but changed his name when his mother took him to the UK. He's returned to his home town, someone had called to tell of his father's death. Joe is surprised at this news, he'd been told his father had died 20 years ago. He takes a room in the hotel and goes to visit his father's new wife. Peter Cushing plays a doctor who had been treating Joe's father for his war time trauma. Peter owns the house the family has been living in. Joe soon gets involved in a complex plot involving his father's death.
Joe's dogged determination to find out what's going on puts a big spanner in the works for the secret plotters. No one takes him aside to fill him in and the baddie nearly gets away with the prize. Things work out better than you'd expect and Joe heads for home.
I enjoyed this one too. There were plenty of twists and turns as the story was unfolded. It was nice to see the baddie get his in the end. Plenty of good cast members and good production values. I'd watch it again. Finally a commentary with Kim Newman that I liked. He was joined by Barry Forshaw who wrote a book on film noir.