Dick Barton: Special Agent
| Dick Barton: Special Agent | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Opening title | |
| Directed by | Alfred J. Goulding |
| Written by | Alfred J. Goulding Alan Stranks |
| Based on | the BBC radio serial |
| Produced by | Henry Halstead |
| Starring | Don Stannard George Ford |
| Cinematography | Stanley Clinton |
| Edited by | Eta Simpson |
| Music by | John Bath |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Exclusive Films |
Release date |
|
Running time | 71 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Dick Barton: Special Agent (released to television in the USA as Dick Barton, Detective[1]) is a 1948 British second feature ('B')[2] spy film directed by Alfred J. Goulding and starring Don Stannard.[3] It was written by Goulding and Alan Stranks, adapted from the extremely popular BBC radio serial Dick Barton – Special Agent. It was the first of three films that Hammer Film Productions made about the British agent, followed by Dick Barton at Bay 6and Dick Barton Strikes Back.[4]
Plot
[edit]Special Agent Dick Barton and his colleagues Snowy and Jock are investigating smuggling when two failed attempts are made on his life. The criminals then kidnap Snowey and Jack, as well as Dick's girlfriend Jean. While attempting to rescue his friends, Barton is trapped himself in an underground room where he is chained to a wall. It turns out the criminals led by Dr. Caspar are involved in a neo-Nazi plot to contaminate Great Britain's water supply.
Cast
[edit]- Don Stannard as Dick Barton
- George Ford as Snowey
- Jack Shaw as Jock
- Gillian Maude as Jean
- Beatrice Kane as Mrs Horrock
- Ivor Danvers as Snub
- Geoffrey Wincott as Dr. Caspar
- Arthur Bush as Schuler
- Alec Ross as Tony
Release
[edit]Though critically unpopular, the film's commercial success prompted Hammer to make a number of other movies based on radio and/or TV shows. It was released to television in the USA as Dick Barton, Detective.[5][6]
Critical reception
[edit]Sky Cinema noted "schoolboy shenanigans from slick Dick and his (badly miscast) aides Jock and Snowy. More laugh-a-minute than thrill-a-minute, this was British 'B'-film making at its grimmest."[7]
DVD Talk wrote "the picture has an Ed Wood-like ineptitude."[8]
Allmovie blamed "too much comic relief and terrible pacing".[4]
References
[edit]- ^ Johnson, Tom (1996). Hammer Films: An Exhaustive Filmography. North Carolina: McFarland. p. 30. ISBN 0-7864-0034-X.
- ^ Chibnall, Steve; McFarlane, Brian (2009). The British 'B' Film. London: BFI/Bloomsbury. p. 74. ISBN 978-1-8445-7319-6.
- ^ "Dick Barton: Special Agent". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
- ^ a b "Don Stannard - Biography, Movie Highlights and Photos". AllMovie.
- ^ Pitts, Michael R. (10 March 2019). Famous Movie Detectives III. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 9780810836907 – via Google Books.
- ^ Dick Barton Special Agent Archived 17 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine at Hammerfilms.com
- ^ "Dick Barton - Special Agent". Find and Watch.
- ^ "The Dick Barton Trilogy - Dick Barton, Special Agent / Dick Barton at Bay / Dick Barton Strikes Back (Region 2)". DVD Talk.