The Dark Light *½ (1951, Albert Lieven, David Greene, Norman MacOwan, Martin Benson) – Classic Movie Review 13,001

Vernon Sewell’s entirely adequate 1951 low-budget British black and white second feature thriller film The Dark Light stars Albert Lieven and David Greene in a tale of a lighthouse crew unwittingly rescuing a gang of bank robbers.

Writer/ director Vernon Sewell’s entirely adequate, though desperately creaky 1951 low-budget British black and white second feature thriller film The Dark Light stars Albert Lieven and David Greene.

After two workers at a lighthouse save a gang of crooks on the run from a bank robbery from drowning, thinking they are the survivors of a shipwreck, they are tempted to grab some of the loot from the bank job rather than hand the robbers over to the police.

Some tension is provided by this well set-up, small-scale Hammer thriller, and there is an interesting cast working diligently. But its low budget is a problem trying to tell this story, and ultimately the film cannot rise above its station as just a humble little programme filler. Though, to be fair, it doesn’t seek to and that’s quite okay, with Sewell making a virtue of its compact setting and restricted cast. Acting wise, main star Albert Lieven is the film’s main saving grace, as Mark.

Also in the cast are Norman MacOwan [Norman Macowan], Martin Benson, Katharine Blake, Jack Stewart, John Harvey, John Longden, and Joan Carol.

It was filmed at a rented country estate in Gilston Park and on location around Portsmouth, Hampshire, England, with scenes set at Nab Tower Lighthouse in the English Channel, near the Isle of Wight. Director Sewell even used his own boat.

The Dark Light is directed by Vernon Sewell, runs 67 minutes or 75 minutes, is made by Hammer Films, is released by Exclusive Films (UK), is written by Vernon Sewell, is shot in black and white by Walter Harvey, is produced by Michael Carreras and Anthony Hinds, and is scored by Frank Spencer.

Release date: 23 April 1951 (UK).

The Dark Light (1951) is sometimes cited as the first feature film produced in Britain by the American Danziger brothers, but the 23‑year‑old key Hammer executive Michael Carreras is credited onscreen as sole producer (his first producer credit) and it says Hammer Films Production on the film. There is no mention of the Danzigers. So the first film the Danziger brothers produced in Britain must be Star of My Night (1954), directed by Paul Dickson.

The cast

The cast are Albert Lieven as Mark, David Greene as Johnny, Norman MacOwan [Norman Macowan] as Rigby, Martin Benson as Luigi, Jack Stewart as Matt, Katharine Blake as Linda, Joan Carol as Joan, John Harvey as Roger, and John Longden as Stephen.

Back in the day, second feature B movies were made to be shown as the lesser-known second half of a double bill, usually the one cinema-goers didn’t pay for.

David Greene (1921-2003)

David Greene became a sought-after director: The Shuttered Room (1967), Sebastian (1968) and The Strange Affair (1968). When acting in The Dark Light, he was married to fellow actress Katharine Blake (June 26, 1948 – March 2, 1959) (divorced, one child).

Vernon Sewell was born on July 4, 1903 and died on June 21, 2001, aged 97.

Vernon Sewell was married to actress Joan Carol from 1950 till her death in 1986 in a road accident in France. Sewell became king of the British B movie in a four decade career.

© Derek Winnert 2024 – Classic Movie Review 13,001

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