Smart Alec ** (1951, Peter Reynolds, Leslie Dwyer, Edward Lexy, Kynaston Reeves, Charles Hawtrey, Mercy Haystead) – Classic Movie Review 12,908

John Guillermin’s swift, safe and secure 1951 British black and white crime film Smart Alec stars Peter Reynolds, Leslie Dwyer, Edward Lexy, Kynaston Reeves, Charles Hawtrey and Mercy Haystead

Director John Guillermin’s swift, safe and secure 1951 British black and white comedy drama crime film second feature Smart Alec stars Peter Reynolds, Leslie Dwyer, Edward Lexy, Kynaston Reeves, Charles Hawtrey and Mercy Haystead.

It is neatly written by Alec Coppel, based on his 1941 play Mr Smart Guy with some inevitable changes, apparently including a second female role, presumably the girlfriend character.

Peter Reynolds stars as cool, calm, collected and calculating young Alec Albion, who plans to kill his rich uncle and sets himself up in a neighbouring, overlooking flat for the purpose. Alec has a new young wife called Judith (Mercy Haystead), but is visited by Sylvia (Annette D Simmonds).

He plots a fool-proof way of committing the murder, taking an upper-floor apartment overlooking his uncle, who has a habit of sunbathing on the balcony directly opposite his flat. He carefully times himself going from one room to another by use of a music record, and arranges an alibi by having the new chief commissioner of police, Sir Randolph Towle, who lives in the same building, in his flat as his witness at the time of the murder.

Fairly ingenious, compelling and entertaining, Smart Alec is of quite good quality for a low-budget quota quickie-style support thriller of the era, with a goodish, amusing cast well directed by a talented director who knows how the keep things concentrated and moving, even occasionally stylish. It has found the right star in Peter Reynolds, who inhabits his devilishly arrogant, super-shifty, stop-at-nothing role as if to the manner born.

It’s a slight shame about the comedic tone, which occasionally tips over into farce, as you’d expect from the casting of Charles Hawtrey as posh police sergeant Farr, leading to silliness. However, Leslie Dwyer as the chirpy building caretaker Gossage, Edward Lexy as the investigating police officer Inspector Ashley, Kynaston Reeves as the commissioner of police Sir Randolph Towle all hit the right tone and come up to the mark.

The plot really is quite elaborate and inventive, not to say absolutely preposterous (it’s only a movie!), with so much going on in a breathless 58 minutes. A totally serious crime thriller film would be better, but this one will do quite nicely. The few outside shots add period allure, and the trial and the final sequence are particularly well handled.

The cast are Peter Reynolds as Alec Albion, Leslie Dwyer as Gossage, Edward Lexy as Inspector Ashley, Kynaston Reeves as Sir Randolph Towle, Charles Hawtrey as Farr, Mercy Haystead as Judith Albion, Frederick Morant as Edward Hale, David Hurst as Poppi, David Keir as Mr Guppy, Annette D Simmonds as Sylvia, Vernon Smythe as judge, Peter Bull as prosecuting counsel, and Basil Dignam as defending counsel.

Production company: Vandyke Productions.

Distributed by Grand National Pictures (UK).

Release date: March 1951 (UK)

Running time: 58 minutes.

Smart Alec is shot at Nettlefold Studios, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey.

Saving money, Guillermin filmed it back to back with Two on the Tiles (1951) starring Herbert Lom, Hugh McDermott and Brenda Bruce, and Four Days (1951) starring Hugh McDermott, Kathleen Byron and Peter Reynolds, also made at Nettlefold Studios by Vandyke Productions for release as second features.

Two on the Tiles is also based on a script by Alec Coppel.

© Derek Winnert 2024 – Classic Movie Review 12,908

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