Out of the Shadow (1961)

Director: Michael Winner

Cast: Terence Longdon, Donald Gray, Diane Clare

Synopsis: A journalist investigates the death of his younger brother, a student at a Cambridge college.

Michael Winner wrote and directed this little seen B-movie in the early years of his career, and it’s one can identify traces of his own bombastic nature in that of the hero of Out of the Shadow. Mark Kingston (Terence Longdon) charges around Cambridge on the trail of his little brother’s killer with a single-mindedness of purpose that precludes any consideration of others. If Kingston needs to tear up the floorboards of a college set then that’s what Kingston does, regardless of whether the hapless student who lives there is trying to study. It doesn’t make for a very likable character, but at least Kingston has one of sorts – everyone else in Out of the Shadow (apart from a couple of police officers) is there solely to answer Kingston’s questions or provide clues. The officers are merely there to emphasise just what a indefatigable chap our hero is.

The dull plot is rather forgettable, and makes the 61 minute running time seem much longer, and the near-constant light jazz musical score quickly outstays its welcome. There are a few nice views of Cambridge, but otherwise there’s very little to recommend about Out of the Shadow.

(Reviewed 14th September 2015)