The Floating Dutchman *** (1952, Dermot Walsh, Sydney Tafler, Mary Germaine) – Classic Movie Review 13,550

Dermot Walsh stars in the 1954 British crime film The Floating Dutchman as a Scotland Yard detective who goes undercover among jewel thieves after a dead Dutchman is found floating in the River Thames.

Director Vernon Sewell’s 1954 British black and white second feature crime film The Floating Dutchman [Clue for a Corpse] is based on the 1950 novel by Nicholas Bentley, and stars Dermot Walsh, Sydney Tafler and Mary Germaine.

Dermot Walsh stars as an unlikely Scotland Yard police detective who goes undercover as Alexander James among jewel thieves after a dead Dutchman is found floating in the River Thames.

Two men working on the docks near London’s Tower Bridge find the body of a man floating in the River Thames. The police later identify the body as a diamond courier from Holland, connected to a notorious London fence, and have to find the murderer and the missing diamonds he was carrying. So they get one of their own to go undercover: Alexander James. Though the man has been stripped of anything that could identify him, they find they have one clue, a card for a club owned by Victor Skinner (Sydney Tafler).

The film isn’t at all bad, but there are signs of a better film here, with some excellent actors, interesting characters and a very decent thriller plot. But the film gets bogged down in too much idle chatter in its middle stretches, stalling and losing momentum. It does however pick up nicely towards the end as the plot and action kick in.

Dermot Walsh is not really well cast, and is mild and dull, just when he should be tough and menacing, but, surprisingly, Sydney Tafler is exactly that, tough and menacing, in a rare star part. He’s really good, entirely credible and persuasive, quite mesmerising in his portrait of smooth, cynical villainy, even enjoying a few sly quips. Not well enough known Mary Germaine is good as the smart and alluring heroine understandably admired by both Alexander James and Skinner’s sidekick ‘Snow’ White (Guy Verney).

The character acting is outstanding, particularly Arnold Marlé who is tremendous as the Jewish fence Otto, Guy Verney as the lovesick creepy henchman ‘Snow’ White, Hugh Morton as snooty Inspector Cathie, and James Raglan as Mr Wynn. Also in the cast are the author Nicholas Bentley as Collis, Derek Blomfield as Philip Reid, and Howard Lang as the police gaoler.

A little bit of noir photography by Josef Ambor helps visually and mood-wise, partly disguising the sparce sets, and a tiniest bit of location shooting is a godsend: the River Thames docks near London’s Tower Bridge at the start and later Charing Cross Road by the bookshops, one of which supposedly houses a police safe house in its back room (nice idea!).

Far from being average, or routine, it is good of its British Fifties B-movie crime story kind, an enjoyable watch.

The film is made by Merton Park Studios, later known for its Edgar Wallace Mysteries of the 1960s.

The title is of course a witty play on words on the legendary ghost ship, the Flying Dutchman.

English film actress Mary Germaine (born 28 March 1933) had an inexplicably short film career from 1951 to 1955.

© Derek Winnert 2025 – Classic Movie Review 13,550

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