A madcap comedy, in which a couple of bungling cabaret artists stumble upon a plan to smuggle valuable works of art out of the country. To make matters worse, one of the gang is the mad descendant of the executioner of Anne Boleyn and is determined to re-enact the event, using Pat as head model for the part!
Production Details
A Hammer production released by Exclusive Films
Panacoustic Recording
Cabaret sequence filmed at the Hotel de Paris, Bray
Based on the popular B.B.C. serial by Edward J. Mason
“The Lady Craves Excitement” and “Ladies of the Gaiety” by James Dyrenforth and George Melachrin
Black & White 69 minutes
Filming Began: 1st March 1950
UK Release: 16th October 1950
Studio:
Oakley Court Hotel, Oakley Green, Windsor, Berkshire
Stills from film
Click an image for enlarged slideshow
Cast & Crew
Crew – Believed complete
Red = Uncredited
Crew | Name | Age at Release | Birth | Death | Age | Hammer Credits | Uncredited | Total Hammer | |
Assistant Director | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/jimmy-sangster/# | 22 | 2 Dec 1927 | 19 Aug 2011 | 83 | 66 | 2 | 68 | |
Camera Operator | Peter Bryan | 31 | 28 Sep 1919 | Sep 1972 | 52 | 28 | 28 | ||
Casting | Prudence Sykes | 11 | 2 | 13 | |||||
Continuity | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/renee-glynne/# | 24 | 3 Aug 1926 | 6 Apr 2022 | 95 | 41 | 3 | 44 | |
Dance Arranger | Leslie Roberts | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Director | Francis Searle | 41 | 14 Mar 1909 | 31 Jul 2002 | 93 | 15 | 15 | ||
Director of Photography | Walter Harvey BSc | 47 | 9 Feb 1903 | 1979 | 75 | 35 | 35 | ||
Editor | John Ferris | 7 | 7 | ||||||
Hair Stylist | Monica Hustler | 22 | 21 Nov 1927 | 21.11.1927 | 97 | 18 | 18 | ||
Make-up | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/phil-leakey/# | 42 | 4 May 1908 | 26 Nov 1992 | 84 | 50 | 50 | ||
Musical Director | Frank Spencer | 39 | 19 Jun 1911 | Feb 1975 | 63 | 22 | 1 | 23 | |
Producer | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/anthony-hinds/# | 28 | 18 Sep 1922 | 30 Sep 2013 | 91 | 87 | 3 | 90 | |
Production Manager | Arthur Barnes | 64 | 1886 | 1956 | 70 | 20 | 20 | ||
Recordist | Edgar Vetter | 37 | 27 Jan 1913 | 15 Dec 1988 | 75 | 15 | 15 | ||
Screenplay | Edward J Mason | 38 | 8 May 1912 | 3 Feb 1971 | 58 | 3 | 3 | ||
Screenplay | Francis Searle | 41 | 14 Mar 1909 | 31 Jul 2002 | 93 | 18 | 18 | ||
Screenplay | John Gilling | 38 | 29 May 1912 | 22 Nov 1984 | 72 | 19 | 19 | ||
Cast | Name | Age at Release | Birth | Death | Age | Hammer Credits | Uncredited | Total Hammer | |
1st Chorus Girl | Barbara Hamilton | 23 | 11 Dec 1926 | 7 Feb 1996 | 69 | 1 | 1 | ||
2nd Chorus Girl | Jasmine Dee | 32 | 30 Aug 1918 | 28 Jun 2019 | 100 | 2 | 2 | ||
Boris | Danny Green | 47 | 26 May 1903 | 1973 | 69 | 4 | 4 | ||
Carlo | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/sidney-james/# | 37 | 8 May 1913 | 26 Apr 1976 | 62 | 7 | 7 | ||
Club Patron | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/richard-neller/# | 56 | Oct 1894 | 14 Jul 1970 | 75 | 9 | 9 | ||
Inspector James | John Longden | 49 | 11 Nov 1900 | 26 May 1971 | 70 | 4 | 4 | ||
Jack - Barman | Louis Matto | 40 | 16 Aug 1910 | 16 Apr 1989 | 78 | 5 | 5 | ||
Johnny | Michael Medwin | 27 | 18 Jul 1923 | 26 Feb 2020 | 96 | 6 | 6 | ||
Julia | Thelma Grigg | 39 | 13 Sep 1911 | 29 May 2003 | 91 | 1 | 1 | ||
Lunatic | Gordon Mulholland | 29 | 30 Apr 1921 | 30 Jun 2010 | 89 | 1 | 1 | ||
Mugsy | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/ian-wilson/# | 49 | 2 Jul 1901 | Dec 1987 | 86 | 5 | 3 | 8 | |
Nightclub Patron | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/ernest-blyth/# | 40 | 1910 | 1981 | 71 | 12 | 12 | ||
Pat | Hy Hazel | 31 | 4 Oct 1919 | 10 May 1970 | 50 | 2 | 2 | ||
Peterson | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/andrew-keir/# | 24 | 3 Apr 1926 | 5 Oct 1997 | 71 | 7 | 7 |
Original Poster
Click to enlarge
Footnotes
Actor John Longden appeared in early Hitchcock films, such as Blackmail (1929) and The Skin Game (1931). He also turns up in Hammer’s Quatermass 2 (1957) alongside “Carry On” regular Sidney James, who has his first role with Hammer here.
Scottish actor Andrew Keir found more substantial parts with Hammer in The Pirates of Blood River (1962), Dracula – Prince of Darkness (1966), Quatermass and the Pit (1967) and Blood from the Mummy’s Tomb (1971).
This is the first Hammer film to feature the famous exterior of Oakley Court, the building next door to Bray Studios. Michael Medwin’s character even refers to it by its real name in the film.