The Blue Parrot *** (1953, Dermot Walsh, Jacqueline Hill, Ballard Berkeley, Ferdy Mayne, Richard Pearson, John Le Mesurier) – Classic Movie Review 13,935

The 1953 British crime B‑movie The Blue Parrot stars Dermot Walsh and Jacqueline Hill as a visiting New York detective and a Scotland Yard undercover policewoman who team up at a Soho nightclub to investigate a murder.

Director John Harlow’s low budget 1953 British second feature crime film The Blue Parrot stars Dermot Walsh, Jacqueline Hill, Ballard Berkeley, Ferdy Mayne, Richard Pearson, and John Le Mesurier. The screenplay by Allan MacKinnon from a story by British crime reporter Percy Hoskins, centres on a visiting New York detective (Dermot Walsh) and a Scotland Yard undercover policewoman (Jacqueline Hill), who team up to investigate the murder of a small time crook after leaving a London Soho nightclub called, oddly enough, The Blue Parrot.

Even if the story is written by the long-time British Daily Express chief crime reporter, you need to take the tall story in The Blue Parrot with a hefty pinch or two of salt. British screenwriter Allan MacKinnon does his level best to stir it into a palatable stew, with enough success. The setup and developments are, mmm, unlikely at best, yet it’s only a movie here to entertain lightly, and it does.

It is a bit creaky and clunky but nevertheless entertaining, mainly thanks to the performers’ spirited performances, with Ballard Berkeley and John Le Mesurier having a satisfying lot to do as the Scotland Yard inspector Superintendent Chester and the evil club boss Henry Carson. Ballard Berkeley is always effective as a copper, and it’s always great to have Le Mesurier as a serious bad guy. Both men make it entirely believable.

Main star Dermot Walsh is awkwardly cast and none too comfortable as Bob Herrick, the visiting American police detective from New York in London to learn about Scotland Yard’s methods. He seems more shifty and chilly than canny and careful. But Jacqueline Hill makes a good, warm impression as Maureen Maguire, the police woman who goes undercover as a glamorous hostess at the club. She is credible too, even when doing far-fetching things.

Also invaluable are Richard Pearson as Chester’s right-hand man Quinney, Ferdy Mayne as dodgy club customer Stevens, Edwin Richfield as waiter Taps Campelli, and Arthur Rigby as Soho cafe proprietor Charlie. That is four first-rate character actors doing their sterling support stuff. Where would these old movie be without them?

Kicking off the film, Victor Lucas as has a short role at the start as small-time crook Rocks Owen, who receives a mysterious phone call at the Blue Parrot Soho night club, leaves quickly, and is found shot dead in his car in a country side lane. Not much of a role then, first victim in a crime thriller.

There’s sadly almost no outside filming, just when you hoped there would be. It is set in Soho in its heyday, for goodness sake! A valuable opening shot of Soho’s Compton Steet at the start with the Vintage House wine shop and the Casino theatre (now Prince Edward) gives way immediately to a cramped studio set. And that’s how it proceeds. Director John Harlow battles the low budget gamely and valiantly, just like the actors battle the script, side-stepping the humps and jumping the hurdles. It really does entertain though, and it’s all over in just 63 minutes.

The film is produced by Stanley Haynes for Act Films and was released in October 1953 by Monarch Film Corporation (UK).

Cast: Dermot Walsh as Bob Herrick, Jacqueline Hill as Maureen Maguire, Ballard Berkeley as Superintendent Chester, John Le Mesurier as Henry Carson, Richard Pearson as Quinney, Ferdy Mayne as Stevens, Edwin Richfield as Taps Campelli, Arthur Rigby as Charlie, June Ashley as Gloria, Valerie White as Eva West, Victor Lucas as Rocks Owen, Diane Watts as Carla, Thomas Gallagher as commissionaire, Joe Wadham as PC Jenkins.

© Derek Winnert 2026 – Classic Movie Review 13,935

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