The plot has too many loop holes - starting from murder motive (too flimsy, since the victim might or mightn't have been a black mailer), to murder instrument (where did he get that?), to the Accused picking up the instrument (spanner ) with left hand, when he is a rightist (and hence a natural reaction would be to use preferable hand, even if he is stupid enough to pick it up). Of course the finger-print experts have identified the print and seen it was of left hand (and that would have absolved him), and the most damning would have been Doris, the outgoing bitter bar girl, not able to recognise her "Ship of Night" companion, while all the people in the other bar knew him. I could list many more.
But these big loop-holes in the plot doesn't in anyway reduce the charm of the movie. It has some lovely character portrayal - from amateur bookie-sleuth to the cynic Mervyn Johns (as Charlie Wickers), in fact the two love-birds - the naive (or silly?) starlet and the boy-friend Mavis Villiers and Laurence Kitchin brings out smiles through her chatters. Leave aside the plot - it is a nice character study of the people, not too affected or theatrical ensemble of them.
Review of Saloon Bar
