The Narrowing Circle (1956) User Reviews

Another Writer Tries To Outsleuth The Police

[boblipton · 6/10 · 22 January 2020]

Paul Carpenter gets passed over as the editor of the company's new true-crime magazine. Worse than that, the guy who gets the job takes his girl, who's more interested in someone who can afford her. So Carpenter slugs the guy, and goes on a binge. Along the way, he picks up a blonde drinking companion, who dumps him in a fleabag hotel, and signs him in under a fake name. Then she leaves. When he wakes up, he goes home and discovers the corpse of his romantic rival.

Matters turn nastier, as the hotel clerk doesn't recognize him, and the police say they cannot trace the woman. Only Hazel Court is sympathetic as he keeps finding the corpses of people who might alibi him.

Charles Saunders shows what he can do with a well-written script (except the part where Carpenter has figured out whodunnit, but refuses to share the name with Miss Court or the police; that must be the strict libel laws in Britain). There is some good humor, and a lead character who makes bad decisions and realizes it moments later is nice writing. Plus Carpenter and Court have good chemistry.

Of its time

[ajack-19783 · 6/10 · 30 March 2019]

I quiet enjoyed this film it was very much if it's time, mid 50s and I have seen better films made around the same time but I have also seen worse. The outcome can be guessed from early on and some of the characters are one dimensional but worth a watch on a rainy Sunday afternoon.

Sloppily written murder mystery

[Leofwine_draca · 4/10 · 9 May 2016]

As another reviewer on this site has noted, THE NARROWING CIRCLE is a somewhat disappointing B-movie thriller. Compared to other films of the genre from this era - like OPERATION DIPLOMAT, say, or even the cheapie Butcher Films movies of the early '60s - it feels sloppily written in places, and as a mystery it cheats the viewer by preventing them from being able to guess the identity of the villain thanks to some mediocre writing.

Paul Carpenter essays the role of an unsympathetic writer for the pulp magazines who finds himself framed for murder by persons unknown. The only ally he has on his side to help him is the pretty Hazel Court, a year before she hit the horror big time with Hammer's THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN. Together the pair move through a plot involving detectives, multiple murder, and a rather convoluted back story with more than a few plot holes if you look too closely.

THE NARROWING CIRCLE features the likes of Ferdy Mayne, Basil Dignam, and Hugh Latimer in support. Trevor Reid is very good as the acerbic detective and gets all the funniest lines. Carpenter feels pretty wooden and there's a bit of a vacuum where his character is involved. The film was directed by B-movie specialist Charles Saunders (WOMANEATER) and made by Fortress Films, who put out 8 B-movies during the 1950s before disappearing into obscurity.

"Serviceable yet silly b-mystery."

[jamesraeburn2003 · 2/10 · 27 February 2006]

American journalist Dave Nelson (Paul Carpenter) is outraged when his colleague Bill Strayte (Ferdy Mayne) is picked for the editor's job and runs off with his girlfriend Laura Martin (Paula Byrne) in the process. When Strayte is found murdered in Nelson's flat the following day, Inspector Crambo (Trevor Reid) automatically suspects him as not only did he show his anger at the dead man pinching his job as well as his girl, but he also beat Strayte up and threatened to kill him in front of her. However, Nelson can prove that he was at a hotel booked for him by a mysterious blonde called Christy (June Ashley) whom he had spent the evening with getting drunk in the process. However, the hotel proprietor denies ever checking him in and no trace can be found of Christy. Meanwhile, the body count continues to rise and Nelson is conveniently at the scene of each murder and its up to him and his new lover, the beautiful young writer Rosemary Speed (Hazel Court) to find the real culprit. Could an unsolved murder case in South Africa hold the key to the mystery?

The Narrowing Circle is another of those obscure British b-pictures that turns up on the splendid Matinée Movies channel on satellite television, which puts on many rare and interesting British films but this isn't one of them. It's directed by Charles Saunders whose brother Peter produced The Mouse Trap. Before turning to direction and, sadly most of his output in this capacity consisted of routine programmers such as this, he worked with Anthony Asquith as a negative cutter on the war film We Dive At Dawn (1943) and as a second unit director on The Way To The Stars (1945) as well as working as an editor. The plot is serviceable and it doesn't overstay its welcome, but the acting and the low budget finally betray it for what it is -a typical undistinguished second feature from that period. Director Saunders keeps things moving at a good pace, but there are inept moments in the action such as Nelson's violent fight with the killer in his apartment whose hat never falls off once! How daft can you get? The main interest here is the appearance of Hazel Court who within a year of making this would co-star with Peter Cushing in Hammer's groundbreaking horror movie The Curse Of Frankenstein and would go on to appear in other notable genre films such as Hammer's The Man Who Could Cheat Death (also Hammer 1959) and Roger Corman's The Raven (1963) and The Masque Of The Red Death (1964).

Quality acting for a B pic, fair plot, competent cinematography

[adrianovasconcelos · 7/10 · 18 February 2023]

I must admit my complete ignorance about Director Charles Saunders' work, but he certainly does a fine job with this B picture. Relying on an Hitchcock-like screenplay whereby an innocent journalist (Paul Carpenter) keeps finding dead bodies and rating increasingly the prime suspect to Scotland Yard inspector Crambo (superior supporting show from Trevor Reid), the film posts strong dialogue and an interesting plot with a villain that I had not seen coming.

Splendidly simple photography, good fight sequences, clever twists and turns - all help make THE NARROWING CIRCLE a worthy watch, with the added bonus that Hazel Court has the loveliest eyes and a deliciously plump figure.

Recommended B noir.

Mediocre thriller

[malcolmgsw · 5/10 · 22 July 2015]

This stars 2 favourite leads for British B films of the 1950s,Paul Carpenter and Hazel Court.It seems that anyone who has contact with Carpenter is found murdered and that within a very short time Carpenter is found adjacent to the murdered person.What I did not quite like about this film was that you were not likely to be able to guess who was the killer,as the killer was not on screen for very long.Furthermore the reason for the killings only became apparent at the very end.So you are not really given any clues as to whom it might be.The only way you will get it is if you guess,which obviously one of the other reviewers did.

A crime writer gets caught up in a real crime mystery

[clanciai · 7/10 · 22 March 2023]

It's the usual plot of getting framed for crimes you didn't commit, and they keep piling up no mater what you try to do to get out of a constantly dwindling spiral and mess of implications and troubles. It's a well written script elegantly treated into a well directed film, but none of these characters will make any lasting impression. They are simply just types set up for a suspense thriller, not even imitating Hitchcock and falling far off the professional stream of thrillers. The people murdered here are no less than three, and they are all quite innocent but just happened to know some loose ends of a story that never even would have interested them. Fortunately the film is not too long, just about some minutes more than an hour, the action is intensive all the way with even some space for a romance, so you will enjoy it enough for its duration and then forget all about it.

Try and get hold of the book

[wilvram · 4/10 · 13 October 2020]

Julian Symons wrote an excellent mystery which was also revealing about British social attitudes of the time. It was always going to lose something in its translation to the big screen but this film is below average even by contemporary British 'B' movie standards. It just becomes a run-of-the-mill whodunit with the characterization so thin that the unmasking of the guilty party is distinctly underwhelming. The budget apparently wouldn't stretch to the usual second division American star so the over-familiar Paul Carpenter turns out once again. Glamorous Hazel Court is some compensation as always and Trevor Reid is accomplished as the cynical detective.

Watchable UK crime film

[gordonl56 · 7/10 · 22 May 2012]

Paul Carpenter is a crime magazine writer who is up for the editor job. He feels the job is his and lets his girl, Paula Byrne, in on the info. Carpenter is all smiles since this will mean a large pay bump.

The next day, Carpenter is called into the director's office. Carpenter is told that the other candidate, Ferdy Mayne, is the new editor. A somewhat annoyed Carpenter returns to his office. He tells his office mate, Hazel Court, he feels ripped off. He decides to call it a day and heads home.

What does he find at home? It is Byrne packing her stuff with help from Mayne! Byrne tells Carpenter she likes Mayne's bigger bankroll. Now peeved, Carpenter flattens Mayne with a couple of rights and tells him to expect more of the same. He then heads out to get good and truly soused.

After a few drinks, he meets a blonde who agrees to help him paint the town. Later that night, the blonde, June Ashley, checks the blitzed Carpenter into a cheap hotel.

The next day, a somewhat worse for wear Carpenter leaves the key at the desk and heads home. He needs a shower and a shave. What he finds inside his flat is the body of Mayne. Someone has bashed his head in. Carpenter calls the Yard.

Carpenter tells the inspector, Trevor Reid, that he has an alibi. He was out with the blonde etc. The Police let him go for the moment.

Carpenter heads to the office where he has a talk with the company director, Russell Napier. He tells Napier everything that has happened. Napier tells him to just get back to work.

Carpenter hits his desk and tells Court about his less than happy night. Inspector Reid shows and says there is a problem with the alibi. His name does not appear on the hotel book ins.

Reid and Carpenter return to the hotel to chat with the clerk. Once there, Carpenter remembers the woman, Ashley, had signed him in as a Mr. Smith. They find a Smith in the book but the clerk denies ever seeing a blonde. Reid again lets Carpenter loose.

Carpenter heads back again for a talk with Miss Court. Court suggests they both return to the hotel for another talk with the clerk. Instead of a talk what they find is the dead body of the clerk. A quick call to Reid is made. Reid arrives, goes over the body and gives our man Carpenter a dirty look. Court says it could not have been Carpenter as he was with her.

After a couple of drinks to calm the nerves, Carpenter heads home. Carpenter is just inside the flat when he discovers another man. This one is masked and quite alive. He belts Carpenter who ends up on the wrong end of a beating. The masked man flees leaving a crumpled envelope on the floor.

Minutes later, Carpenter recovers and takes a look around the room. He finds the envelope. It has the name and address of the blonde, Ashley, from the night before. Carpenter decides not to call Reid. He will handle this himself.

Our man finds the address from the envelope and heads for the flat. The door is open and Carpenter enters. Needless to say there is another stiff, Ashley. Now Reid and a constable arrive. They had received a phone call about a murder. Reid tells Carpenter he is in the bag. Three corpses is a bit too many in one day. Leaving the Constable to watch Carpenter, Reid heads for a phone.

It dawns on Carpenter that someone is doing a frame job on him. He jumps the copper and escapes. He makes a bee-line for Court's place to hide out. The two sit while Carpenter tries to think this mess out.

The next morning, Carpenter decides he has the answer. The only person besides Reid, Court and himself, who also knew the details of the first mess, was his boss, Napier. He tells Court he will confront him and see if he is right. He is a crime writer after all.

Court and Carpenter grab a cab to the office. He tells Court to make a call to the Police as he confronts Napier. Carpenter rushes into the director's 4th floor office and throws the accusation at him.

Napier smiles, he admits killing Mayne and the others. It seems that Mayne, while doing research for a story, had discovered that Napier was wanted for a murder in South Africa. He had moved to the UK and changed his name etc. But instead of going to the Police with the information, Mayne had decided that blackmail was his game.

"Hearing of the exchange of words and blows you and Mayne had gave me just what I needed. A patsy! Then you told me about the blonde and the hotel clerk." "I paid a visit to the hotel clerk, bribed him for the blonde's name, and to say nothing about her to the police. After you left, I returned, killed the clerk, then went to your place. When you came home, I belted you around and left the envelope. You like an idiot, did the rest rushing off to find Ashley. A quick call to the Police should have taken care of you."

Napier then opens a desk drawer and pulls a small automatic. "I don't think the Police will look very deep when I kill an escaped 3 time murderer." Carpenter dives at Napier and the two wrestle for the gun. Reid and the Police now burst in and put the grab on Napier. It seems Napier had left several fingerprints in the wrong places. They matched a warrant for a murder in South Africa. Napier decides against the rope and throws himself out the office window. Case closed.

Fortunately, I'm a Hazel Court fan

[JohnHowardReid · 4/10 · 17 December 2012]

If you're not a Hazel Court fan, you will not find much of interest in this movie. Although allegedly based on the exciting 1954 novel by Julian Symons, it emerges on screen as a tepid remake of "The Big Clock". As usual, in these British quota quickie clones of U.S. box office successes, all the minor characterizations and subplots that added so much to the texture of the original, have been ruthlessly shorn away, leaving only bare, uninteresting bones. The movie's one innovation -- courtesy of "Crime and Punishment" -- is the introduction of a sarcastic Scotland Yard inspector who conceals his malice under an elaborate cloak of politeness, but nevertheless taunts the hero from time to time. He is well played by Trevor Reid -- and that is something you cannot say of the rest of the cast, including the usually super-attractive Hazel Court, who is very poorly photographed and costumed. That is not unusual, as you often find in quota quickies that the photographer, costumer, make-up man and hair stylist seem to be paying all their attention to a minor member of the cast -- in this case, Paula Byrne.

The hero is played by Paul Carpenter, a familiar face on the q.q. circuit. Paul once told me that he hoped his competence and charisma ("I never fluffed a line in my life!") would gradually lead to assignments in "A" features. But this never happened, and in this movie he seems to have given up. However, his is by no means the worst performance. Russell Napier makes such a poor fist of the Charles Laughton role, one could weep! Ferdy Maybe does nothing with his brief part; Mary Jones overacts; but Ronnie Stevens will delight fans with his characteristic cameo as a snobbish bartender. This role was played by Frank Orth in "The Big Clock", and Stevens is the only member of the present cast who comes anywhere near to matching one of the original performances.

The present script unwisely makes an issue of the killer's identity -- even though it is obvious to a ten-year-old. Nor is there anything much in the way of action. In fact, the movie is full of uninteresting talk. The direction by Charles Saunders is totally undistinguished, and even by q.q. standards, production values are distinctly tight.

Alan Robinson plays Parker, Mary Jones is Miss Richards, and Hugh Latimer is cast as Charles Peers.

Good Chemistry

[jromanbaker · 8/10 · 16 March 2023]

Continuing my viewing of B films made as time fillers for the main A film in the UK in the 1950's and 1960's I discovered this good one from 1956. Despite what has been called poverty row conditions some of them transcend these so-called conditions and briefly ' The Price of Silence (1966), ' Burnt Evidence ' (1954) and this one are so far the best. No doubt more will follow. In ' The Narrowing Circle ' any faults in direction or camera work, or ill-judged details, cannot hide the fact that the two leads Paul Carpenter and Hazel Court give first rate performances. Both characters work in a publishing house for crime, and find themselves involved in a series of murders that appear to stem from the house itself. Together they go to work, and the chemistry between them could almost be compared to Bogart and Bacall. The sexual connection is subtle and erotic ( unusual so far in my B viewing ) and of course there is the inevitable kiss before the final fade, which is not so formulaic as the kisses have been passionate enough before. I liked the pace, the red herrings and the totally surprising killer. In all well worth watching on YouTube if nowhere else, and I hope some viewers will join me in this bargain hunt for long forgotten films in a sort of genre of their own. The genre was made to fill up an hour of time before the main feature. I wonder how many left the cinema having the B movie in mind, and thinking how dull the A film was ?

Interesting Start But Too Many Gaps in the Plot!!

[kidboots · 7/10 · 30 October 2016]

Hazel Court was a vivacious young actress - a graduate of the Rank Organisation's "Charm School" who showed a lot of promise in the 1940s. She won a British Critic's Award for her portrayal of a crippled girl in "Carnival" and was also seen to advantage in 1949's "Forbidden". But the 1950s were not a great time for good understated actresses and in 1956 Hazel found herself in Fortress Film's "The Narrowing Circle". Directed by Charles Saunders and based on a novel by Julian Symons, Court plays the beautiful Rosemary Speed, staff writer at a local newspaper who is treading on Dave Nelson's (Paul Carpenter) toes as she is moved into his already cramped office. He has hopes of landing the editor's job on the new True Crime magazine but life is fast becoming complicated - his girl has been two timing him with Bill Strayte, the guy who is promoted instead of him and when Bill's body is found at Davie's flat, the body count mounts thick and fast with Dave always seeming to be a "Johnny on the Spot" when each corpse is discovered.

It's the old story, he gets drunk, picks up a girl who takes him to a flat and of course when he needs an alibi the people he has met on the night are very loath about providing one - all except Christy, the blonde, who seems to have disappeared. She eventually turns up - dead of course!! The plot solution was pretty far fetched with the twist appearing to be at the start with the initial "True Crime Magazine" story about a cold case murder amid the South African diamond mines!!

"The Narrowing Circle" is one of those quota crime quickies that the 1950s churned out by the ton. British film was going through the doldrums, television had arrived keeping everyone at home glued to their sets!! Like the Australian film industry, Britain went through a long phase of "if we put an American star in, everyone will just love it"!! - Paul Carpenter was Canadian and so fitted in easier but still with the interesting accent and the second nature brashness he displays towards Rosemary at the start.

Starts intriguingly but too many plot holes to make you care much about the characters.

Dull mystery from the 50s

[lucyrf · 3/10 · 23 December 2019]

Yes, what they all said. It's really not very good. There are a couple of funny characters, though. The camp barman who eventually remembers Carpenter despite it being "out of hours". And the twittering, spinsterish office worker who keeps coming in looking for a lost file. Is she sure it's lost, has she logged who had it, asks Carpenter. "I have a pink form! I'll show it to you if you like." "That won't be necessary."

Just wanted to share that joke with you. Rather "Round the Horne".

Editor's choice

[Prismark10 · 3/10 · 16 November 2018]

The Narrowing Circle is a routine and anodyne crime thriller. A quickly knocked off low budget B film.

Dave Nelson (Paul Carpenter) is a crime reporter hoping for a promotion. He finds out that his colleague Bill Strayte gets the job and later discovers that his girlfriend has been carrying on with Bill behind his back. Dave rather rashly punches Bill and tells him that he will sort him out later before drowning his sorrows and meeting a floozy in a bar.

Dave later finds Bill's dead body in his flat and Inspector Crambo (Trevor Reid) suspects him as no one else could confirm his alibi.

At every turn as Dave tries to clear his name, he finds himself with more dead bodies.

The denouement is rather convoluted, silly and far fetched. Only wily Inspector Crambo makes an impression with some laconic wit.

What's in a Name?

[richardchatten · 6/10 · 30 December 2020]

Paul Carpenter and Hazel Court make a handsome couple investigating who killed the corpses he keeps stumbling over in this diverting potboiler with amusing dialogue and supporting characters, a jaunty music score and the usual agreeable views of London sixty years ago.

Based on a novel by Julian Symonds using office politics as it's starting point and turning into a new version of 'So Long at the Fair'. Ferdy Mayne plays a character ironically called 'Straight', the hero signs himself into a hotel under the name 'Smith' and Ronnie Stevens also ironically plays a barman everybody calls 'Jack' who prefers to be called 'Jimmy' back in the days when he himself was billed as 'Ronald'.

Could have been better

[drb-65442 · 5/10 · 2 March 2024]

This film tells an intriguing story which holds the viewer's interest, but I was left feeling that it would have benefited from a more serious, hard boiled approach. As it is, the director, screenplay writer, and lead actor Paul Carpenter all play it for laughs, so there is never any real sense of menace or tension. Some aspects of the story lack plausibility - for example the scene where the main character is trying to clear his name after being framed, but then proceeds to punch the detective in charge of the case in the face to avoid arrest. It's hard to understand the motivation for this, or to empathise with someone who would behave so self-destructively. If you approach the film as a comedy thriller, rather than a tense crime drama, any initial expectations are less likely to be disappointed.

The Narrowing Circle

[CinemaSerf · 6/10 · 21 April 2023]

"Nelson" (Paul Carpenter) is a journalist who has an habit of finding corpses - and one of them is his girlfriend's other boyfriend! Despite his protestations, the police - under the suspiciously watchful eyes of "Insp. Crambo" (an effective Trevor Reid) are beginning to think there can be no smoke without fire. Meantime, fellow journalist "Rosemary" (Hazel Court) starts to share an office with him at "True Crime" magazine and after an initially awkward period, the two begin to join forces to get to the bottom of the crimes before poor old "Nelson" heads for the hangman. The story benefits from having a few quirks to it - there are even some diamonds mixed up in it all, and the dialogue is well enough written and delivered. Clearly the unremarkable Carpenter was brought in to give the box office a touch of Transatlantic glamour and Court always did manage to look the part too, so though this is never likely to be a film you will recall with enthusiasm, it's not at all a bad little afternoon feature that kills an hour without you having to scratch your head too often - and the ending isn't quite what you might expect.

Boring to watch

[searchanddestroy-1 · 4 March 2023]

There were hundreds of schemes as this one in the movie and series history. This one is predictable, boring, lousy, and only the late fifties atmosphere can justify the watching for old timers or gem diggers. This is a small British thriller which is fortunately very short, so the time you'll waste will be short too. I purchased it only because it is rare, but this is never a guarantee of quality. Charles Saunders was a prolific director for the UK film industry but he had no ambition at all. He made better films than this one though. I have many many UK movies from the late fifties and early sixties in my library, all in black and white, and will try to find a good gem to talk about.