Wrong Number ** (1959, Peter Reynolds, Lisa Gastoni, Peter Elliott, Olive Sloane, Barry Keegan, John Horsley, Paul Whitsun-Jones) – Classic Movie Review 13,791

Olive Sloane stars as an eccentric elderly lady who hears a killer’s name mentioned when she dials a wrong number, in the 1959 British crime thriller film Wrong Number.

Director Vernon Sewell’s 1959 British second feature crime thriller film Wrong Number features Peter Reynolds, Lisa Gastoni, Peter Elliott, Olive Sloane, Barry Keegan, and John Horsley. It is written by James Eastwood and Norman Edwards.

Peter Elliott plays crime mastermind Dr Pole, whose little gang of three crooks (Peter Reynolds as Angelo, Barry Keegan as Max, Paul Whitsun-Jones as Cyril) hijacks a royal mail van driven by Saunders (Arthur Lovegrove) and Bates (Harold Goodwin). They steal a bag of used bank notes, but, in the escape, Bates is coshed and killed by Angelo.

Then eccentric elderly lady Miss Crystal (Olive Sloane) is fretting about the health of her little dog, seeks help, but dials a wrong number, and hears Angelo’s name mentioned when Angelo’s girlfriend Maria (Lisa Gastoni) picks up the phone. She has mistakenly telephoned Dr Pole’s telephone number instead of the vet’s.

The interesting and tolerable British crime thriller film Wrong Number largely fails to spark up, though Olive Sloane’s turn as eccentric elderly lady Miss Crystal, meddling infuriatingly, is highly amusing, and her double act with John Horsley as a surprisingly kindly and patient police Superintendent in charge of the case is the film’s highlight, comedy and not crime thriller maybe, but very entertaining. John Horsley was a very good actor, even under these humble, slightly struggling circumstances, totally at home in old Scotland Yard.

However, the normally 100 per cent wholly reliable Peter Reynolds is stumped having to play gun-toting killer lowlife Italian Angelo, totally unbelievable as either killer lowlife or Italian, while gorgeous real-life Italian Lisa Gastoni’s femme fatale role of Maria mostly defies her. To be fair, her dialogue is rotten, and her role is all dialogue. Barry Keegan and Paul Whitsun-Jones are less than convincing as gang members. Mostly dialogue problems again. Peter Elliott has a lot to do, maybe a bit too much, but is rather good as brainy gang boss, respectable music teacher Dr Pole, an interesting character, also understandably in love with Maria.

Blue Peter’s Chris Trace turns up as a London desk copper.

It is made by and at Merton Park Studios in London, and released on 28 June 1959 by Anglo-Amalgamated Film Distributors (UK).

Running time: 60 minutes.

Cast: Peter Reynolds as Angelo, Lisa Gastoni as Maria, Peter Elliott as Dr Pole, Olive Sloane as Miss Crystal, Paul Whitsun-Jones as Cyril, Barry Keegan as Max, John Horsley as Superintendent Blake, Harold Goodwin as Bates, David Davenport as Sergeant Jones, Catharina Ferraz as Mrs Landi, John Grima as Albin, Arthur Lovegrove as Saunders, and Chris Trace as a London desk copper.

© Derek Winnert 2025 – Classic Movie Review 13,791

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