Man on the Run ** (1949, Derek Farr, Joan Hopkins, Edward Chapman, Laurence Harvey, Kenneth More) – Classic Movie Review 11,083

Writer/ producer/ director Lawrence Huntington’s 1949 black and white film noir Man on the Run is a humdrum British post-war thriller with a familiar plot, but it is given a little bit of a lift with decent acting from the usual suspects and just a little flair in the writing and expertise in the direction.

Derek Farr stars as a British army deserter soldier, Sergeant Peter Burdon, who has gone AWOL as a fugitive in post-war Britain, goes into a pawn shop to cash in his army gun just when a robbery is happening, and gets mixed up with the gem thieves. He finds himself mistakenly wanted for murder and robbery but goes on the run from the police, and meets war widow shop assistant Jean Adams (Joan Hopkins), who helps him in his time of trouble and becomes his friend in need to try prove his innocence and find the real criminals.

Farr makes a reasonable central character, the reliable Edward Chapman gives a nice, solid  performance as the police inspector, as Chief Inspector Mitchell, and a couple of notable players on the way up in their careers – Laurence Harvey as the young copper Detective Sergeant Lawson and Kenneth More as the blackmailing soldier Corporal Newman – give neat little support turns. Indeed it is a very good cast worth checking out.

Also in the cast are John Stuart, Alfie Bass, Edward Underdown, Eleanor Summerfield, Howard Marion Crawford, John Bailey, Leslie Perrins, Kenneth More, Martin Miller, Anthony Nicholls, Valentine Dyall, Patrick Barr, Gerald Case, Cameron Hall, Howard Douglas, Lawrence Ray, Bruce Belfrage, Robert Adair, Charles Paton, Basil Cunard, Jack McNaughton, Virginia Winter, Margaret Goodman, Lalage Lewis, John Boxer, Roy Russell and R Stuart Lindsell.

Man on the Run is directed by Lawrence Huntington, runs 82 minutes, is made by Associated British Picture Corporation, is released by Associated British-Pathe, is written by Lawrence Huntington, is shot in black and white by Wilkie Cooper and Arthur Graham, is produced by Lawrence Huntington, and scored by Philip Green.

It is made at Elstree Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England.

© Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 11,083

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