British Thrillers, 1950–1979

The three decades following WWII are considered the golden age of the British thriller film. Newer characters like James Bond, along with established icons such as Sherlock Holmes, Miss Marple and The Saint, all contributed to the era’s bountiful array of cinematic mystery, danger, excitement and suspense. For the first time, the extensive output of British thrillers from 1950 to 1979 is covered in one volume.

Themed chapters cover a total of 845 films including spy thrillers, mystery thrillers, psychological thrillers, action-adventure thrillers, and crime thrillers. Within these chapters, films appear chronologically, each with a synopsis/review. Additional information provided for each film includes production companies and alternate British and U.S. titles, and the work includes eight useful appendices.

Franz Antony Clinton is a London-based Anglo-Spanish professional flamenco guitarist. He has contributed to movie websites and guitar journals.

Franz Antony Clinton
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 449
Bibliographic Info: 139 photos, filmography, appendices, bibliography, indexes
Copyright Date: 2020
pISBN: 978-0-7864-1032-3
eISBN: 978-1-4766-4067-9
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments vi
Preface 1
Introduction 7
1. Espionage 15
2. Mystery and Murder 57
3. The Psychological and the Psychopathic 114
4. Focus on Crime Solvers 155
5. The Business of Crime 199
6. Suspense 258
7. Merton Park’s Edgar Wallace B-Movie Series 289
8. Action/Adventure 306
Filmography 337
Appendix I. British Thrillers from Selected Production Companies 395
Appendix II. Hollywood Actors in British B Thrillers 399
Appendix III. Sources for the Edgar Wallace Series 403
Appendix IV. Selected Listings 405
Appendix V. British and U.S. Video Retitlings 407
Appendix VI. British-Made U.S. TV Movies 411
Appendix VII. Supposed Alternate U.S. Titles 413
Appendix VIII. “Ad”dendum 415
Selected Bibliography 417
Index of Names 419
Index of Film Titles 442

“A well-researched and comprehensive guide for film students and movie mavens alike.”—Library Journal