Whispering Smith Hits London
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Steve Fisher
Julian Lesser
| Whispering Smith Hits London | |
|---|---|
 Poster for US theatrical release | |
| Directed by | Francis Searle |
| Written by | Frank H. Spearman (story) |
| Screenplay by | John Gilling Steve Fisher |
| Produced by | Anthony Hinds Julian Lesser |
| Starring | Richard Carlson Greta Gynt Rona Anderson Herbert Lom |
| Cinematography | Walter Harvey |
| Edited by | James Needs |
| Music by | Frank Spencer |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Exclusive Films RKO Radio Pictures (US) |
Release date |
|
Running time | 84 minutes (UK) 77 minutes (US)[2] |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Whispering Smith Hits London (U.S. title Whispering Smith vs. Scotland Yard) is a 1952 British second feature ('B')[3] crime drama directed by Francis Searle and starring Richard Carlson, Greta Gynt and Herbert Lom.[4][5] The screenplay was by John Gilling and Steve Fisher, based on a story by Frank H. Spearman. Gilling said in interviews that he had to sue to get his writer's credit on this film, which infuriated James Carreras who was planning to credit only Spearman. It was made at Bray Studios with some location shooting in London. Production ran from May 14, 1951 through June 21, 1951. The original working title for the film was Whispering Smith Investigates, but it was changed to Whispering Smith Hits London just before it was trade shown on Jan. 17, 1952 at the Rialto, then released on Feb. 3rd. The film was distributed in the US in March 1952 by RKO, in a slightly edited version retitled Whispering Smith vs. Scotland Yard. Michael Carreras was working on the script for a sequel to this film, but plans for a series was dropped.[6]
Whispering Smith (Richard Carlson), an American detective, is summoned to London to investigate the suicide of a young woman named Sylvia Garde. The dead girl's father and his secretary Anne both suspect that Sylvia was murdered. Smith finds a little black book that indicates that Sylvia's lawyer Hector Reith and her fiance Roger Ford (Herbert Lom) had both been blackmailing Sylvia. Her ex-friend Louise was also in on the shenanigans, and Smith rushes to protect Anne who has been temporarily living with Louise. Smith learns that Sylvia is actually still alive, and that it was her friend Louise who was murdered due to a botched blackmail scheme. Sylvia accidentally shoots and kills her own boyfriend Roger Ford while trying to hold Smith and Anne at gunpoint in the film's finale.
Cast
- Richard Carlson as Whispering Smith
- Greta Gynt as Louise
- Herbert Lom as Roger Ford
- Rona Anderson as Anne
- Alan Wheatley as lawyer Hector Reith
- Dora Bryan as Miss La Fosse
- Reginald Beckwith as Manson
- Daniel Wherry as Dr Taren
- Michael Ward as reception clerk
- Danny Green as Cecil Fleming
- James Raglan as Supintendent Meaker
- Stuart Nichol as Martin
- Laurence Naismith as Parker
- Christine Silver as Mrs. Pearson
- Vic Wise as Maxie
- Stanley Baker in small role as reporter
- Middleton Woods
- Michael Hogarth
- John Wynn