jamesraeburn2003 When a financier called Steve Mordaunt (Ivan Sansom) buys a collection of rare books on a visit to Belgium, it spells disaster. He instructs his sidekick, Bob Westlake (Hugh McDermott), to transport the books safely to his home once they arrive in England. However, Bob's wife, Susie (Honor Blackman), is kidnapped by a gang of fanatics who demand he hand over the books in exchange for her safe return. It turns out that the collection of books contain the rare works of a fanatical cult and if they fall into the gang's hands they could plunge the whole of the Middle East into war.A surprisingly enjoyable offering from British b-pic factory, Butcher's Film Distributors. Its indifferently written and directed by Maclean Rogers - a real veteran of the British quota-quickie industry - but it is briskly paced and is lifted by cheerful performances by Hugh McDermott - the imported American lead - and Honor Blackman who would soon shoot to fame as Cathy Gale in the classic espionage series, The Avengers. Both are highly likable as the young hero and heroine and also noteworthy here is Jane Hylton who plays Sansom's girlfriend but, in actual fact, is only cultivating his attentions because she is working for the criminal gang.

Leofwine_draca A stodgy, late '50s-era thriller from Butcher's Film Productions. This one's a lamentable effort about an everyday guy getting mixed up with a gang of Middle Eastern smugglers. When he discovers that his delectable wife has been kidnapped by the group, he must go after them to seek her safe return.There's some mild intrigue in this film, and a few characters who double-cross each other, but for the most part it's very dull and it lacks the lively charm of other productions like SMOKESCREEN or IMPACT. Hugh McDermott was a poor choice for the film's hero; his American accent is awful and he seems uninterested in the proceedings.In a bid to spice things up there are a couple of fight scenes thrown into the mix but they have more in common with a bar-room brawl in the Wild West than a genteel British thriller. Watch out for the lovely Honor Blackman who is given little to do as the kidnapped wife.

Prismark10 This is a low budget B film about a husband and wife who become mixed up in a tussle over valuable ancient manuscripts of an ancient mystical writer that may lead to a revolution in the Middle East.Hugh McDermott and Honor Blackman play the spouses who investigate the attempted burglary at the house of a financier. The financier's lover (Jane Hylton) is suspected as she was formerly the lover of a gangster and she leads them to the search of the writings of the middle eastern philosopher which has inspired an extreme political group.The film has few airs and graces. Blackman is required to look glamorous as we see her in a swimming costume early on. Later she is the damsel in distress. Jane Wilton makes the deeper impression as the villainess Rosemary Delgado who really is alluring as well as being despicable.Its a serviceable quickie that probably featured a Middle Eastern plot in the aftermath of the Suez Crisis. Honor Blackman fans will look it up as a curiosity.

wilvram Following an attempted burglary at the home of financier Steve Mordaunt, his assistant and trouble shooter Bob Westlake, (Hugh McDermott), and his wife Susie, (Honor Blackman) investigate. The mysterious behaviour of Mordaunt's lover Rosemary Delgado (Jane Hylton), a former mistress of a major fraudster, leads them to an extremist group desperate to obtain the writings of one Achmed, a 14th Century seer, which are included in a consignment of rare and valuable books which the financier is importing, and from which they intend to incite a revolution across the Middle East...This plays like an early version of an episode of one of those crime/adventure/espionage series that flourished on British television in the sixties and early seventies. The plot could form the basis of an Avengers adventure with Cathy Gale, but here Honor Blackman is given little to do apart from looking as glorious and delectable as ever, not least on the occasion when she emerges from a swimming pool. She's later taken hostage by some of the motley gang of villains, and though threatening to kick leading thug Ferdy Mayne "in the teeth", while apologising for the "unladylike expression", that's about all her character is allowed to do in the situation. The striking Jane Hylton does what she can in the under-written part of the scheming Rosemary, and it's left unexplained how she knew more about the nature of some of the books than her wealthy lover did himself. Hugh McDermott is fine as the lead.There are one or two examples of unusual casting. Basil Dignam, who almost always played army officers and other professional men is self-effacing chauffeur Currie, and Hugh Moxey struggles to conceal his plummy tones as the street wise Tom Cookson, the somewhat unlikely "uncrowned king of the Soho underworld". All good entertainment though.For a film with a 'MacGuffin' about Middle-eastern unrest it seems slightly ironic when a headline on McDermott's newspaper inadvertently reveals that it was shot in the aftermath of the Suez crisis.