[Inspector Abberline]

Never Let Go.1960

Not officially a British Noir,but this British crime thriller does hove many similarities with its noir counterparts. With a stellar cast of who's who of British cinema, which include Richard Todd as the likable but rather useless cosmetic salesman,Peter Sellers as a ruthless gangster who steals cars to order and a ever so fresh faced Adam Faith as the leader of a gang of street toughs who does the actual stealing of the vehicles for Sellers is gangland boss. Richard Todd has his new car stolen from outside his office, on top of this his sales of cosmetics are not looking to good either and now with his prized Ford Anglia missing he never seems to make appointments with his customers on time and the axe is looming over his job as his younger colleagues wait to jump into his shoes and steal his sales patch. Meanwhile Sellers's who looks like a cross between Terry Thomas and Fred Kite from I'm Alright Jack, is a mean spirited and very abusive minor criminal who runs a car sales and a Fagin like ring of car thieves. Sellers character Lionel Meadows would make the Kray's blush with his snide and cruelness and is not averse to giving his young girl (hint at being underage) friend played by Carol White a slap if she does not do as she is told. I cannot think of any other character Sellers has played that was quite this evil and vicious, administering beatings to all and sundry especially poor old Mervyn Johns from Dead of Night, who was unfortunate enough to witness the stealing of Todd's car, mind you not as unfortunate as the terrapin Sellers stamps on after kicking over its aquarium. Add to that a love triangle between Faith, White and Sellers that will obviously end in tragedy for someone. Richard Todd's character John Cummings is pretty much a door mat for his work colleagues and customers alike and his only real rest bite is from his family and wife played by Elizabeth Seller's as Anne Cummings. He is a bit of snivelling weed really and is definitely out of his depth when he tries to get the police to arrest Meadows (Sellers) arrested for stealing his car. Heading up the cast is Noel Willman's as a disbelieving police Inspector ,probably familiar to most from The Kiss of the Vampire (1963) and David Lodge as a henchman to Sellers, Lodge has probably been in every 1970's sitcom and British movie of that period. Overall a cracking British film that had been unknown to me until recently but highly recommended for all fans of British B-movies.