Excellent but underrated film

It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

To all those who have watched it: I hope you enjoyed it as much as I do.

Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.

Maybe because of the French writing connection which other reviewers have touched on, what should have been explained to the viewer was how John Gregson was stumbling to a local Cornish village to summon help one minute, then in the next scene he is suddenly in France in a French hospital still driving the his Mark 1X Jaguar.Did "Talking Pictures" on channel 81, cut out a vital scene for commercial break reasons, or did we see this movie in its entirety? Its always a pleasure to see Mai Zetterling on screen.Talking Pictures recently aired "Only Two Can Play" with her & Peter Sellers.I find myself watching channel 81 frequently to see the old movies from the 40s 50s & 60s in preference to the garbage often shown on more mainstream channels.The subject film was made in 1960 and I always check the date from the listing of movies of this vintage, particularly one like this I saw for the first time.Unusually, the producer leaves a lot of unanswered questions to the viewer at the end leaving them to make their own minds up as to the denoument of the characters.

Actually felt the frustration of John Gregson's character and didn't have an idea of the end until the last 10 minutes and still it surprised. A lot of "darlings" and "proper" English, being that age, and meaningful looks between the characters. Being in black & white only adds to the "depressed" feeling that nobody can help the main character and his attempts to help himself are excruciating. It's difficult to write 10 lines without containing a spoiler, so I might waffle a bit, but the characters played by Mai Zatterling and dear old Michael Denison are despicable. I'm surprised I've never seen this film before and will probably watch it again in the future. If it were in French with subtitles it would probably be labelled a masterpiece!

I was staggered to read some of the other reviews of this film, as I found it to be one of the best mystery thrillers it has been my pleasure to see. From start to finish, this is a film which does not flag, which remains taut and full of suspense throughout, and which keeps the viewer endlessly and tensely speculating about just what is going on : is the blinded Mr Hammond just paranoid, or is he really likely to be murdered ? That is perhaps the main question, but there are other related issues which keep the viewer on tenterhooks, and the overall result is an excellent hour and a half's viewing. All good things come to an end, as they say, and this film certainly comes to an end that one never could see coming !

I finally got to watch this film on a scratchy DVD from a VHS copy bought off ebay- so the sound quality was muted at times, but i've tried to see it for years and failed. It is a good taut little thriller, on a moderate budget but well acted (everyone is suitably mysterious and two-faced) though John Gregson had to work very hard to convince as the tough, unpleasant workaholic boss (he just looks too affable). His dilemma, after an accident blinds him, gave me a few empathetic shivers and that dilemma is what kept my attention right through to the unexpected ending. There are some genuinely creepy moments,and an initially unsympathetic main character makes headway in conjuring our sympathy.Enjoyable and should be better known.