雾都疑案

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