Circle of Danger (1951) Reviews

• At last Patricia Roc does not have to compete with Margaret Lockwood

  howardmorley2010-01-05

  Ray Milland (born in Neath, Glamorgan, Wales) keeps his transatlantic accent playing an American searching for the reason for his brother's death during a commando raid attached to the British army in 1940 (before America entered the war) in Brittany, France.Ray leaves his diving team searching for precious metal off the coast of Tampa, Florida, takes his share of the profits to date and travels to the UK in his aforementioned quest.Along the way he meets up with the few surviving members of the commando team travelling to Covent Garden, London; Teddington Lock on the Thames; Hammersmith west London; and up into the Scottish Highlands where he meets Patricia Roc a children's book authoress and illustrator.Her character seems to blow hot and cold with Ray but at least she does not have to compete for Ray's attention with Margaret Lockwood (who was busy filming elsewhere).Also there, is Hamish (Hugh Sinclar) who was the commanding officer in the raid and who loves Patricia Roc's character (although she only likes him).Ray even buys a used car off wide boy Naunton Wayne (who for once is without his screen companion Basil Radford) in return for information - at least it saves Ray having to "cadge" lifts. Marius Goring plays a sinister character who since the war end has gone into producing ballet (and I am sure he got the role after playing the composer in Powell & Pressburger's acclaimed " The Red Shoes" (1948).The director, Jacques Tourneur is most notable in my collection for "Out of the Past"(1947) and "Experiment Perilous" (1944) and here directs an exciting "whodunnit" which takes Ray back & forth as he gradually unravels the truth.As another reviewer has stated we get to see some good locational shots which makes a change from hidebound studio interiors.Another curious thing is there is no noticeable mood music in the film.The final scene is unexpected and you are led down several blind alleys first.Enjoyable, I rated it 7/10.

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• A trip to Scotland to uncover the past

  IlyaMauter2003-05-12

  An American World War II veteran Clay Douglas (Ray Milland) comes to Scotland in order to conduct an investigation concerning death of his brother during a special mission in France during the war, the mission where he was the only casualty what appears to be very strange to Clay. Travelling through Scotland, one by one he meets former war mates of his brother and tries to inquire them as about circumstances surrounding his death. But everyone pretends to know nothing or very little about what happened back then, the fact that makes Clay Douglas more and more sure that it's in fact one of them, his former colleges, is guilty of his death. The question is: which one of them? Circle of Danger marked Jacques Tourneur's return to Europe, namely Great Britain where he went in order to make this movie. Though the Circle of Danger doesn't belong to the Film-Noir genre it might be considered the bleak shadow of Jacques Tourneur's Film-Noir classic Out of the Past. Parallels can be drown especially in terms of the story, which in both cases concerns the main character's past, only in Out of the Past Robert Mitchum's character Jeff Bailey tries to forget it, to hide from it, which ultimately proves to be impossible and results in tragic ending, while in Circle of Danger Ray Milland's character Clay Douglas decides to travel back in time and uncover its mysteries related the unclear circumstances of his brother's death in world War II. Only in Circle of Danger everything is much more `primitive', much more simplistic in terms of the story and character's development and their interactions as well as in lacking of that great wittiness of dialogs which is one of the main masterpiece ingredients of the Out of the Past, and finally the film's ending, a time where a question might arise in our minds: Is it was worthy the time we invested in seeing it? 6/10

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• CIRCLE OF DANGER (Jacques Tourneur, 1951) ***

  Bunuel19762011-02-07

  Although I had not intended this current noir marathon to be a tribute to any one particular actor, this will be my fourth Ray Milland movie in a row! Originally hailing from Wales, this sees the Hollywood star making a welcome return to his homeland (and its environs) – albeit playing an American! – for a rather unusual Hitchcockian post-war thriller. The story deals with a salvage captain leaving Florida to go all over the United Kingdom (Wales, Scotland and London) – the roundabout nature of the route anticipating the Hitchcock classic NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959) – to seek out the surviving members of a commando team who operated in France during WWII and unravel the mysterious events surrounding his younger brother's death. This largely reticent and unhelpful bunch includes a wonderful turn by Marius Goring (who has now become a celebrated ballet choreographer), Hugh Sinclair (the former commando leader who is now a brooding baronet), Naunton Wayne (a clear nod toward Hitchcock right there, having acquired a reputation playing one of two cricket-crazy twits in THE LADY VANISHES [1938] – now a chatty, crooked car salesman) and Edward Rigby (playing a Welshman, thus obviously a miner!). Notable support, then, is provided by the lovely Patricia Roc (as Sinclair's intended, and whose 'meeting cute' with Milland precipitates a bumpy affair – again a' la NORTH BY NORTHWEST – but with the expected happy ending) as well as the ever-reliable Reginald Beckwith (from director Tourneur's later NIGHT OF THE DEMON [1957], as Goring's long-suffering partner). Despite the rather glum aura of the proceedings, this is less a noir than a whodunnit and, as if to emphasize that very difference, we are regaled with celebrated cinematographer Oswald Morris (and equally notable camera operators Gilbert Taylor and Arthur Ibbetson)'s breathtaking location shooting – the downbeat revelation at the climax, taking place in an open field, is particularly masterfully handled – as opposed to the claustrophobic studio sets usually associated with the former genre. For the record, Milland himself had starred in Fritz Lang's superb wartime thriller MINISTRY OF FEAR (1944) boasting a famously inaccurate Hollywood rendition of London! Another link to "The Master Of Suspense" is the presence of co-producer Joan Harrison (a longtime Hitchcock collaborator), even if the 'whistled tune' giveaway device immediately reminds one of Lang's child-murdering masterpiece M (1931)! In the end, one should be grateful Jacques Tourneur's first working trip to England here worked as well as it did – since, in six years' time, this would be followed by his last great (and one of his best-ever) film i.e. the afore-mentioned NIGHT OF THE DEMON.

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• Inside a small circle of soldiers.

  dbdumonteil2007-08-28

  Son of a French famous director (Maurice),but an American citizen since 1919 when his father came to Hollywood,Jack (Jacques) Tourneur began his career in the land of Victor Hugo with funny comedies such as "Toto".But he is best remembered for his thrillers ("out of the past"),his adventures films ("the flame and the arrow") and his fantasy and horror movies ("cat people" ,"curse of the demon",my J.T. favourites. "Circle of danger" belongs to the "thriller" category although it's rather a whodunit detective story ;as it takes place in England ,it is closer to Agatha Christie's puzzles than to American film noir .A man (Ray Milland ) investigates his brother's death.In WW2,he joined the English army and was killed in a raid .But the bullet that went through his head was not German. Jack Tourneur has a very special way of filming the places .It is obvious in "Curse of the demon" .Here too the places seem more important than the characters : the mines,the nice cottage in Scotland,the dancing school,the theater ,and above all,the sensational use of the Scottish country in the final sequence.He makes harmless elements very strange nay scary: the awful choir,the ballet,the commander's mom.... There is a slight sag in the texture and tension in the second part when Tourneur focuses on the female character played by decorative Patricia Roc.Besides,when Clay talks about his kid brother,it's not enough to make acquaintance with a character who does not appear in the movie,and it is important,when you know the ending of the film. By the last thirty minutes,the movie becomes exciting again.The whistling tune is a very good trick,worthy of Alfred Hitchcock.And the final scene cannot be praised too highly:a very good suspense.

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• Solid mystery movie

  Panamint2015-06-14

  Confidently directed by Jacques Tourneur and ably portrayed by a fine cast, "Circle of Danger" is a relatively unknown film that is worth finding if you can (maybe through CD purchase or on TV). You won't regret looking it up. Ray Milland is the perfect choice as an American who efforts to discover exactly what happened to his brother in WWII. Not an easy task to discover details about a death during a commando raid, obviously a chaotic and deliberately secret event by nature. Although the American's motivations remain a bit fuzzy to everyone, he is doggedly determined. The result is an ending resolution that I found to be rewarding and finely done. The radiant Patricia Roc portrays a young woman who tries to balance career and emotional involvements with as much wisdom as possible in view of fast-moving and evolving events. Marius Goring ("The Red Shoes") expertly essays a complex character with style and aplomb. Former movie "Saint" Hugh Sinclair is solid as a rock and excellent in his portrayal of a truly selfless aristocrat. All of the characters in this film are conveyed with some depth, surprisingly so for a modestly made sort of movie. 1950 Britain is really featured throughout the film and nostalgically captured in black and white which seems somehow appropriate for the date and era. They just don't make them like this anymore- so you will feel lucky to have found "Circle of Danger".

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