Highly Dangerous (1950)

Director:

Roy Ward Baker

Writer:

Eric Ambler (written by)

Release Date:

12 October 1951 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Thriller

Tagline:

... to have ... hold or HATE!

Plot:

A British lady entomologist travels to a Balkan country to look into germ warfare trials using various bugs as carriers.

Plot Keywords:

Germs | Insect | Spy

Cast

Margaret Lockwood	...	Frances Gray
Dane Clark	...	Bill Casey
Marius Goring	...	Commandant Anton Razinski
Naunton Wayne	...	Mr. Hedgerley
Wilfrid Hyde-White	...	Mr. Luke, British consul (as Wilfrid Hyde White)
Eugene Deckers	...	Alf, the 'contact'
Olaf Pooley	...	Detective-Interrogator
Gladys Henson	...	Attendant
Paul Hardtmuth	...	Priest
Michael Hordern	...	Lab Director Owens
George Benson	...	Sandwich Stand Customer
Eric Pohlmann	...	Joe, the bartender
John Horsley	...	Customs Officer
Patric Doonan	...	Customs Man
Joan Haythorne	...	Judy
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jill Balcon	...	Wardress (uncredited)
John Boxer	...	Police Sgt. at Customs Cafe (uncredited)
Ernest Butcher	...	Tom, lab assistant (uncredited)
Robert Cawdron	...	Soldier at Barrier During Fire (uncredited)
Anton Diffring	...	Officer At Station Check Point. (uncredited)
Toni Frost	...	Stewardess (uncredited)
John Gabriel	...	Night Field Telephone Officer (uncredited)
Philo Hauser	...	Waiter (uncredited)
John G. Heller	...	Soldier at Station Check Point (uncredited)
Noel Johnson	...	Frank Conway (uncredited)
Richard Marner	...	Soldier on Train (uncredited)
Anthony Newley	...	Operator (uncredited)
Michael Rittermann	...	The 'Tail' (uncredited)
Lance Secretan	...	Alan (uncredited)
Ewen Solon	...	Enemy Scientist (uncredited)

Directed by
Roy Ward Baker		(as Roy Baker)

Writing credits
Eric Ambler		(written by)

Produced by
Antony Darnborough	....	producer
Earl St. John	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Richard Addinsell

Cinematography by
Reginald H. Wyer		(lighting cameraman) (as Reginald Wyer)

Film Editing by
Alfred Roome

Casting by
Weston Drury Jr.		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Alex Vetchinsky		(as Vetchinsky)

Makeup Department
W.T. Partleton	....	makeup artist
Biddy Chrystal	....	hair stylist (uncredited)

Production Management
William N. Boyle	....	production manager (as Billy Boyle)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Roy Goddard	....	assistant director
Rory Gowans	....	third assistant director (uncredited)
Peter Manley	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Bert Gaiters	....	property master (uncredited)

Sound Department
John Cook	....	sound recordist
Gordon K. McCallum	....	sound recordist (as Gordon McCallum)
Peter Davies	....	first assistant dubbing mixer (uncredited)
Robert T. MacPhee	....	boom operator (uncredited)
George Willows	....	sound camera operator (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
David Harcourt	....	camera operator
Peter Allwork	....	focus puller (uncredited)
Tom Friswell	....	clapper loader (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Julie Harris	....	dress designer
Dorothy Edwards	....	wardrobe: women (uncredited)
Bob Rayner	....	wardrobe: men (uncredited)

Music Department
Muir Mathieson	....	conductor
Eric Rogers	....	music arranger (uncredited)

Other crew
Arthur Alcott	....	production controller
Yvonne Axeworthy	....	continuity (uncredited)
Ray Cunnington	....	unit publicist (uncredited)
Ken Green	....	publicity manager (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Two Cities Films

Distributors

• General Film Distributors (GFD) (1950) (UK) (theatrical) (released through)
• Lippert Pictures (1951) (USA) (theatrical)
• Henwood Video (198?) (USA) (video)

Other Companies

• D&P Studios  logo
• J. Arthur Rank Organisation  export agent (uncredited)
• Philharmonia Orchestra, The  music played by

Also Known As:

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Finland:K-12 | Sweden:15 | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Two Cities Films

Trivia:

The film debut of John Horsley.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Player (1992)

Great Escapism from the Lovely Miss Lockwood

Many of the other reviews refer to the thin and unbelievable plot and casting. I beg to differ. 90% of modern films are pure unbelievable west coast Amertican dross, just think of the fare from Will Ferrell, Adam Sandler, Cameron Diaz, Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, and all the high school, college, so called coming of age movies awash with those stupid Californian accents, etc, etc, etc.

This is a British B/W film of the early 50s and has the benefit of Margaret Lockwood playing against type in a plot line which holds up well, it is a movie after all, escapism, and perfectly encapsulates the early post war, cold war fears and demons of the time, played in a gentle tongue in cheek way by the cast and director.

I enjoyed it immensely, and so will you. Give it a go, far superior to most modern movies.