Double Exposure (1954) watch online HD

This one is pure formula. If you like your crime stories dished up very simply and predictably, you may enjoy it.

It seemed to me that the biggest crime in the movie was committed by the script writer, who has taken a brilliant story concept (a chance photograph of a murder) and managed to strip it of all dramatic interest. There are no real surprises and no suspense to keep your interest. About the only positive things I could say are that the movie has accidentally done a fine job of recording English town and country scenes in the 1950s, and the musical score by Australian composer John Lanchbery is of some interest.

By contrast, just 12 years later Antonioni's classic movie `Blowup' (1966) took almost the same story concept and wove a web of suspense, mystery, fear, imagination, sexuality and keen social observation. I wonder if the writers of Blowup ever saw this sad little precursor. If they did draw inspiration from it, they would probably be the only people who ever did.

Oh and by the way, it's not giving too much away to say that the hero and heroine never get closer than bumping into each other by accident. Apparently only the baddies have sex. Curse that prudish decade of the 1950s!

A private inquiry agent called Pete Fleming (John Bentley) is assigned to uncover the whereabouts of a photographer, Barbara Leyland (Rona Anderson), by her boss Denis Clayton (Alexander Gauge). The PI's suspicions are aroused because, at the time she disappeared, Barbara had been taking pictures at the site of Clayton's flat where his wife had fallen to her death from a top storey window. The $100,000,000 question, as always, is did she fall or was she pushed? Fleming believes that Barbara's photographs may provide a vital clue as to the identity of a murderer and that Clayton wants to be both rid of her and the incriminating pictures. It transpires that Clayton is heavily in debt to a bookmaker and the pair brought about his wife's death when he stole some jewelry belonging to her as security for a gambling debt. When she tried to take them back, they pushed her out of the window. These revelations put Fleming and Barbara's life in grave danger and Clayton is himself murdered before the climatic showdown in a warehouse in the London docklands...

A largely routine thriller which is par for the quota quickie course. It suffers from predictable plot development and director John Gilling fails to generate any tension or suspense. The most enjoyable aspects of it are the pleasant black and white location shooting in the city of Winchester, Hampshire, England and the engaging chemistry between the leads Bentley and Anderson. The pair gradually start to fall in love although, initially, the latter is irritated by him and the way Bentley's character acts the cad to win her affections is quite amusing. Garry Marsh also has his moments in the role of John Bentley's absent minded boss. There are some interesting faces to look out for in the supporting cast; including Doris Hare, playing a policewoman, who would later become famous for playing Reg Varney's mum in the classic British sitcom On The Buses as well as the versatile character players John Horsley and Frank Forsyth who were familiar faces in many a British film. Director John Gilling would go on to do better things for the British horror wave like The Flesh And The Fiends and, later for Hammer, The Shadow Of The Cat, The Plague Of The Zombies and The Reptile.

John Bentley plays,as usual,a private detective,who is employed by cheerful Garry Marsh.Marsh,has been asked by Alexander Gauge to find a woman(Renee Asherson) who may have jewels that have gone missing.The woman is a photographer and was taking photos when Gauge's wife fell out of the window of a block of flats in an apparent suicide.Bentley finds her in Winchester but she doesn't have the diamonds.He is then called off the case and shortly after that Gauge is found shot dead,again an apparent suicide.Though of course we and Bentley know its not suicide.Gauge had large gambling debts ,gave the jewels as security,the wife went to get them back and was pushed out the window.At times it is a bit confusing to follow,and I had to backtrack and watch again to work out what was going on.So rather over plotted for a one hour thriller