Dick Barton – Special Agent ** (1948, Don Stannard, George Ford, Gillian Maude, Jack Shaw, Geoffrey Wincott) – Classic Movie Review 4,713

Don Stannard stars as the popular special agent radio character in Hammer Films’ 1948 British black and white second feature thriller film Dick Barton, Special Agent.

‘It’s no use Betsy, I can’t stand it any longer, I’m going out to look for Dick.’

Co-writer/ director Alfred Goulding’s 1948 British black and white second feature thriller film Dick Barton, Special Agent stars Don Stannard as British Government Special Agent Dick Barton.

Edward J Mason’s Forties wireless detective Dick Barton was an obvious candidate for Hammer Films’ first phase of movie-making – radio spin-offs – before they moved on to TV adaptations and then finally found their true vocation as the house of horror.

In the first of three films, Dick (Stannard) comes to Cornwall with his chums Jock Anderson (Jack Shaw) and Snowy White (George Ford), worries local smugglers, and sets out to stop foreign-country bad guys led by Dr Casper (Geoffrey Wincott) trying to put germ bombs in British reservoirs to poison London’s water supply.

It is really basic, slapdash, all-too-cheap (£20,000) Boys’ Own stuff that seems to have come from an even much earlier generation still. But at least there is a lot of busy, daft plot, courtesy of the requirements of the BBC serial. This feature version was also released in cinemas as a serial in six episodes. It lacked critical respect then and now, but, looked at in a kindly nostalgic light, it is quite amusing and entertaining.

Also in the cast are Gillian Maude, Beatrice Kane, Ivor Danvers, Arthur Bush, Alec Ross, Farnham Baxter, Morris Sweden, Ernest Borro, Colin Douglas, and Janice Lowthian.

Dick Barton, Special Agent is directed by Alfred Goulding, runs 70 minutes, is made by Hammer Film Productions, is released by Exclusive Films, is written by Alan Stranks, Alfred Goulding and Ambrose Grayson, based on the BBC radio serial by Edward J Mason, is shot in black and white by Stanley Clinton, is produced by Henry Halstead, is scored by John Bath, Frank Spencer and Rupert Grayson, and is designed by James Marchant.

Release date: 10 May 1948.

It is also known as Dick Barton, Detective (US TV title).

A colorised version is also available.

It is followed by Dick Barton Strikes Back (1949) and Dick Barton at Bay (1950), after which Stannard was killed in a car crash driving back from the wrap party, aged only 33, ending the Dick Barton series. He made just 10 films. Hammer cancelled its planned fourth Barton film, Dick Barton in Africa.

The cast are Don Stannard as Dick Barton, George Ford as Snowy, Jack Shaw as Jock, Gillian Maude as Jean, Beatrice Kane as Mrs Horrock, Ivor Danvers as Snub, Geoffrey Wincott as Dr Caspar, Arthur Bush as Schuler, Alec Ross as Tony, Farnham Baxter, Morris Sweden, Ernest Borro, Colin Douglas, and Janice Lowthian.

The BBC radio thriller serial Dick Barton, Special Agent was broadcast on the BBC Light Programme between 7 October 1946 and 30 March 1951 in 15-minute episodes. There were 711 episodes, with an incredible peak audience of 20 million. Noel Johnson (28 December 1916 – 1 October 1999) was the voice of Dick Barton.

© Derek Winnert 2016 Classic Movie Review 4,713

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