Sick Product of a Sick System

It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

Excellent but underrated film

It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

Caught this virtually unknown British crime film recently, only because I enjoy almost any British feature made in the early 1950s. Wasn't expecting much, but what a surprise! The Secret's unusual plot line involves a police search for a missing mother of two children, who is feared drowned in the sea off Brighton. The brilliant Sam Wanamaker, in exile in Britain due to fears of McCarthyism back home, leads a very capable cast. There are believable and touching performances all around, with special mentions going to André Morell and to child actress 'Mandy' (Katie Martin). The Eastmancolor in the print I viewed was badly faded, but it was easy to see how beautiful The Secret must have looked when first released in 1955. The location filming all over Brighton is a treat, and Cy Endfield's direction is more than competent. So glad I saw this one...it knocked me out.

The Secret is an odd little indie feature from mid 50s Britain. It stars Sam Wanamaker, still a relative newcomer to the UK, and a pre-Hammer Andre Morell in a tale of diamond smuggling set in post-war Brighton. The film was shot attractively in Eastmancolor by the always reliable Jack Asher, and the period portrait of that seaside resort is worth the price of admission alone. The film was apparently shot at 'Brighton Film Studio', whatever that was...I haven't seen any other films sporting that credit. Add in a nice turn by Harold Berens as wide boy Frank Farmer, and you have an enjoyable if minor crime film.