Behind the Headlines *** (1956, Paul Carpenter, Hazel Court, Adrienne Corri, Alfie Bass, Ewen Solon, Melissa Stribling, Harry Fowler) – Classic Movie Review 13,649

The 1956 British B-movie crime thriller film Behind the Headlines stars Paul Carpenter, Hazel Court, Adrienne Corri, Alfie Bass, Ewen Solon, Melissa Stribling, and Harry Fowler, and that’s a very good start.

Director Charles Saunders’s 1956 B-movie crime thriller film Behind the Headlines stars Paul Carpenter, Hazel Court, Adrienne Corri, Alfie Bass, Ewen Solon, Melissa Stribling, and Harry Fowler, and that’s a good start.

Naturally, with this title, it is a newspaper story about news reporter Paul Banner (Paul Carpenter) on the trail of a murdered blackmailing blonde, showgirl Nina Duke (Magda Miller). Banner has started up his own news service, Banners News Agency, and has a thing for his secretary Maxine (Hazel Court) but falls under the spell of rival reporter Pam Barnes as he investigates the murder.

The Brits rarely made the headlines with these old crime thrillers copying an American genre (and Canadian actor Paul Carpenter is playing an American reporter working in London), but this one is quite tasty and flavourful, and has the advantages of a very good cast and of reeking of the inimitable scent of the seedy 50s.

The spunky, entertaining playing and the tension and suspense in Allan MacKinnon’s script based on Robert Chapman’s novel compensate for the too genteel handling.

It was made at Southall Studios, Southall, Middlesex (West London).

Saunders had just made Kenilworth Films Production’ similar One Jump Ahead (1955), in which Carpenter also plays a news reporter investigating a murder, also based on a story by Robert Chapman. 

Cast: Paul Carpenter as Paul Banner, Hazel Court as Maxine, Adrienne Corri as Pam Barnes, Alfie Bass as Sammy, Ewen Solon as Superintendent Faro, Harry Fowler as Alfie, Trevor Reid as Bunting, Melissa Stribling as Mary Carrick, Olive Gregg as Mrs Bunting, Magda Miller as Nina Duke, Arthur Rigby as Hollings, Leonard Williams as Jock Macrae, Tom Gill as Creloch, Gaylord Cavallaro as Jeff Holly, Colin Rix as Bernard, Anita Quest as model, Sandra Colville as waitress, Marian Collins as nurse, and Constance Wake as receptionist.

Behind the Headlines is directed by Charles Saunders, runs 67 minutes, is made by Kenilworth Film Productions, is released by Rank Organisation (UK), is written by Allan MacKinnon, is shot in black and white by Geoffrey Faithfull, is produced by Guido Coen, and is scored by Stanley Black.

© Derek Winnert 2025 – Classic Movie Review 13,649

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