VanJohnsonplaysablindAmericanwriterwhoisrentinganapartmentonBakerStreetwhileinLondonfortheopeningofhisnewplay.Afterarowwithhisformerfiancée(VeraMiles),hedecampstothelocalpubtodrownhisself-pitywithadrink.There,hisacutehearingpicksuphushedsnatchesofconversationfromthenextbooth.Convincedthatakidnapplotisintheoffing,herushestothepolice,whoarepolitebutrefusetobelievehim.However,JohnsonknowswhatheheardistrueandengagesthehelpofVeraandCecilParker,hissecretary,tofindthekidnappersandsavetheunknownvictim.Thisterrificsuspensefilmtakesinterestingchanceswiththegenre.Johnson’scharacterisastudyinfrustration,aportraitofamaninvestigatingsomethingheknowsexistsbutcannotsee.Thedirectionbuildstensionwellandissupportedbyafinemusicalbackgroundwhichheightensthemood.23PacestoBakerStreetwasoneofseveral20thCentury-FoxfilmsshotonlocationinLondontotakeadvantageofFox’s"frozenfunds"--moneyearnedbythestudioinEnglandwhichbylawcouldonlybespentinthatcountry.
2024-01-30