On a Sunday afternoon in late November when the chill has started to set in and you’re feeling a bit coldy, a black and white thriller starring John Mills is the perfect way of working off a big roast lunch.
The Vicious Circle features John Mills as Doctor Howard Latimer, a Harley Street doctor whose supposed friend turns out to be the head of a nasty German gang and who frames him for the murder of an undercover policewoman.
The story owes a lot to the style of John Buchan’s The Thirty Nine Steps – an action packed romp where you are better of not lingering to think too long over the many twists and turns that the plot takes, but instead just sip a cup of hot tea, eat a toasted and buttered muffin, and enjoy the ride. Preferably wearing a pair of slippers.
The stars of this film are the treasure trove of quality British actors who you feel so lucky to experience all on screen at the same time, including Wilfred Hyde-White and Roland Culver, while Derek Farr, Lionel Jeffries and Mervyn Johns put in admirable performances.
There were a couple of really enjoyable scenes for me, one being when John Mills opens the door to his house revealing background scenery that is so unrealistically painted that it is just plain funny.
But my favourite scene was when the baddy tries to escape from London Airport at the end of the film and a sign lights up in the plane saying “Fasten Lap Straps”. It is so easy to forget what must have happened for society to settle on the phrase “seat belts”. We spent an enjoyable couple of minutes considering how different our world would have been if we had standardised the names as “tummy bands”, “chair restrainers” or “waist leashes” instead.
Full cast list for 1957 film The Vicious Circle: David Williams, Derek Farr, Diane Lambert, Gillian Moran, Hal Osmond, John Gordon, John Mills, Lionel Jeffries, Lisa Daniely, Mervyn Johns, Noelle Middleton, René Ray, Roland Culver, Wilfrid Hyde-White.