Theo Robertson Based upon the long running Dick Barton series from radio DICK BARTON STRIKES BACK is not without interest if only to give a view of British immediate post war austerity and mentality . Britain was quite rightly proud of the fact that from the Summer of 1940 through to most of 1941 she stood alone against German Nazism and Italian fascism . Her reward for winning the war was losing the subsequent peace . It was also obvious in the aftermath of the war that the standard of living in Britain had actually fallen compared to the times when the U-Boats patrolled the Atlantic and the Luftwaffe had bombed British cities This is reflected in DBSB right from the opening scene where Dick and Snowey go in to a nightclub and foreign cultural influences abound . Snowey can't get a pint of bitter and if that isn't bad enough the waiting staff who are all foreign are in league with another bunch of foreigners led by a villain with the name of Fouracada . You can't help noticing that these criminals aren't of traditional Anglo Saxon stock and while you can accuse the film of a xenophobic mindset this would merely reflect the average British experience of other cultures . Europeans would be fascists , Zionists would be terrorists , Arabs would be rabid nationalists with new found power via oil and even an erstwhile ally such as America would be a cynical fair weather friend . Perhaps most sadly of all the Soviet Union would be on a par with Hitler's Germany #For a film that uses a radio series as its source this is a B movie that deserves some credit for trying to be cinematic in feel .What I did notice is that its outlandish plot featuring a death ray controlled by a bunch of nasty foreigners does have a lot in common in the James Bond franchise but their are important differences . There's no exotic locations and a climax set around Blackpool pleasure beach isn't something you'd get in a Fleming story . Don Stannard as Barton might be square jawed but he's not a dirty fighter and when he gets in to a punch up with one of the bad guys it's unexpected he doesn't throw him out of the lift door . I'm guessing in those days it was only Johnny Foreigner who would do something unsporting like that ?

malcolmgsw this was the second film in the Dick Barton boxed set.It is better than Dick Barton secret Agent because it would be virtually impossible for it to be worse.The location shots are a big plus but the silly plot is almost terminal boredom.What is worse the noise emitted by the machine at the climax sounds like a police siren and goes on and on.It gave me a headache so i had to double the disc speed so i could not its incessant wailing on the soundtrack.the fight scenes are not very well orchestrated.It is rather strange that apart from the 3 leads no other actors names are shown with the front credits.Perhaps they asked that this be done to spare their blushes.I have one more to view.I hope it gets better.

dbborroughs Dick Barton arrives at the airport to meet another special agent. The man avoids Barton, but later tells him that he's being followed by a man named Fourcada and tells him the place they should meet in an hour. Barton arrives at the place but does not see the agent, however he does see Fourcada. Barton and his aide "Snowy" White are captured and left to die in a manner that will look like an accident. Barton and Snowy escape just in the nick of time. That night, in the north of England an entire town dies suddenly and with out any sign of cause. Could the deaths be linked to Fourcada and his men? Can Barton and Snowy find out whats going on before more people die? This is a rip roaring "boys own adventure" type story. It plays at times like a precursor to the Jon Pertwee Dr Whos or to the Quatermass serials and movies. Its hands down the best of the three films made with the characters from the the legendary British radio serial. Everything that the previous films lacked is here in spades. There is real danger, a great villain (Sebastian Cabot plays Fourcada in such a way as to lift him into the pantheon of great movie villains), a real mystery and a very real sense of place.That last bit is very important. This was filmed on location across England and it helps the movie a great deal. When Barton wanders into the town where everyone has died mysteriously we feel its a real town because its a real town. When Barton fights to stop the villains from using their weapon to destroy yet another town we get a sense that there is something at stake because we see people on holiday in the background going about their lives unaware of the danger they are in (or the film crew playing make believe). The fact that we have real places, not just one or two but pretty much every location, instantly pushes this film up a couple of notches because Barton no longer is acting in a fictional vacuum.The film is not perfect. There is little doubt that a couple of the twists and turns aren't that twisty. Its not fatal but it is slightly disappointing because most of this is so good. The "major" flaw, and its really me just quibbling, is the Barton character himself, who is much too good to be believed. Its a flaw that is in all the films, but is most readily apparent in this the one film that is most firmly rooted in the real world. The trouble is that Barton is too perfect. He always gets out of trouble and always looks damn near perfect doing it. He is damn near perfect in everything he does and so seems at times completely unreal. He is "the prefect British gentleman" always looking and acting exactly right. Its a the type of thing that satirists and comedians would rip to shreds. I mean look at the way Barton looks all the way through the climatic battle with the villains, he's perfect, even at the final fade out.Still this is a really good movie. Its a wonderful mystery of the sort they don't make any more. Absolutely worth seeing if you get the chance.(Weird bit of trivia- Don Stannard, the actor playing Barton died, not long after filming ended, in a car crash while riding with Sebastian Cabot the actor playing Fourcada, the villain of the piece.)

cloisterbell-1 I was finally able to see this in a VERY nice three-film boxed DVD set of Dick Barton Hammer films from the late 40s. The first two (D.B. Special Agent, and D. B. At Bay) were both pretty bleak. So, I went into the final film with no great expectations. I was REALLY shocked by how good it was. The film is greatly strengthened by some incredible location filming, especially the extended scenes atop the Blackpool tower. My personal favorite moment was the bandleader directing a real packed dance hall full of revelers. It gave the "Dick must save the world!" storyline a bit of added significance to see a bit of documentary Humphrey Jennings-like texture thrown in. The story itself, about a new "sonic" weapon that can kill whole towns with pure sound, was clever too...Four stars! Oh, yes, and the villain has a harpsichord; this is always a nice touch!