British Thrillers, 1950-1979: 845 Films of Suspense, Mystery, Murder and Espionage

by Franz Antony Clinton

Overview

The three decades following WWII are considered the golden age of the British thriller film. Newer characters like James Bond, along with established icons such as Sherlock Holmes, Miss Marple and The Saint, all contributed to the era's bountiful array of cinematic mystery, danger, excitement and suspense. For the first time, the extensive output of British thrillers from 1950 to 1979 is covered in one volume.

Themed chapters cover a total of 845 films including spy thrillers, mystery thrillers, psychological thrillers, action-adventure thrillers, and crime thrillers. Within these chapters, films appear chronologically, each with a synopsis/review. Additional information provided for each film includes production companies and alternate British and U.S. titles, and the work includes eight useful appendices.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780786410323
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers
Publication date:	11/10/2020
Pages:	449
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.90(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Franz Antony Clinton is a London-based Anglo-Spanish professional flamenco guitarist. He has contributed to movie websites and guitar journals.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments vi

Preface 1

Introduction 7

1 Espionage 15

2 Mystery and Murder 57

3 The Psychological and the Psychopathic 114

4 Focus on Crime Solvers 155

5 The Business of Crime 199

6 Suspense 258

7 Merton Park's Edgar Wallace B-Movie Series 289

8 Action/Adventure 306

Filmography 337

Appendix I British Thrillers from Selected Production Companies 395

Appendix II Hollywood Actors in British B Thrillers 399

Appendix III Sources for the Edgar Wallace Series 403

Appendix IV Selected Listings 405

Appendix V British and U.S. Video Retitlings 407

Appendix VI British-Made US. TV Movies 411

Appendix VII Supposed Alternate U.S. Titles 413

Appendix VIII "Ad"dendum 415

Selected Bibliography 417

Index of Names 419

Index of Film Titles 442

Editorial Reviews

A well-researched and comprehensive guide for film students and movie mavens alike.”—Library Journal

From the Publisher

12/18/2020

According to musician Clinton, the British do movie thrillers better than anyone else, and the 845 British films released between 1950 and 1979 covered in this compendium represent the golden age of the genre. What constitutes a thriller? These films aren't to be confused with horror, says the author, noting that a thriller is a film involving murder or espionage followed by intrigue, suspense, cat-and-mouse games, and double-crossing—think Alfred Hitchcock, Agatha Christie, or James Bond, or movies such as The Spy Who Came in from the Cold and The Odessa File, not Frankenstein or Godzilla. Dividing the volume into eight chapters by subgenre—"Espionage," "Mystery & Murder," "The Psychological and the Psychopathic," "Focus on Crime Solvers," "The Business of Crime," "Suspense," "Merton Park's Edgar Wallace B-Movie Series," and "Action and Adventure"—Clinton lists the films chronologically and gives a synopsis, a review, and production details for each film. This volume also includes a filmography, a bibliography, eight appendixes, and two indexes. VERDICT A well-researched and comprehensive guide for film students and movie mavens alike.—Rosellen Brewer, Sno-Isle Libs., Marysville, WA

Library Journal