Dick Barton Strikes Back
Dick Barton Strikes Back is a 1949 British spy film about special agent Dick Barton.[1] It was the third of three films that Hammer Film Productions made about the agent, although it was the second released.[2]
| Dick Barton Strikes Back | |
|---|---|
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| Directed by | Godfrey Grayson |
| Written by | Elizabeth Baron and Ambrose Grayson, based on a story by Ambrose Grayson |
| Produced by | |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Cedric Williams |
| Edited by | Ray Pitt |
| Music by | Rupert Grayson Frank Spencer |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Exclusive Films |
Release dates | 3 June 1949 (United Kingdom) 4 May 1950 (United States) |
Running time | 73 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Plot
Captain Richard 'Dick' Barton and his associate Snowey White, uncover a spyring of international psychopathic criminals with plans to dominate Great Britain, if not, the world, using a terrifying weapon of mass destruction.
Title
The film's title during production was Dick Barton and the Silent Plague.[3]
Cast
- Don Stannard as Dick Barton
- Bruce Walker as Snowey White
- Sebastian Cabot as Fouracada
- James Raglan as Lord Armadale
- Jean Lodge as Tina
- Morris Sweden as Robert Creston
- John Harvey as Major Henderson
- Humphrey Kent as Colonel Gardener
- Sidney Vivian as Inspector Burke
- Tony Morelli as Nicholas
- George Crawford as Alex
- Larry Taylor as Nick (as Laurie Taylor)
Critical reception
Mystery File wrote: "This is a little kid's idea of a Spy Movie, with transparent trickery, obvious "surprise" villains and character development just below the level of a CLUE game, but it was clearly also the precursor of the James Bond films, with the suave, hard-fighting hero flung in and out of the clutches of sinister villains and predatory females with equal aplomb. It's a time-waster, sure, but a fun thing, with death rays, a sinister carnival and a really gripping final set-to up and down a (rather unsettlingly phallic) tower".[4] The Spinning Image found "an excellent example of pure pulp cinema, Dick Barton Strikes Back is solidly entertaining and never flags, right up to the finish line".[5] TV Guide called it "the best of the three "Dick Barton" films".[6]
References
- "Dick Barton Strikes Back (1949)". BFI. Archived from the original on 4 May 2019.
- "Dick Barton Strikes Back (1949) - Godfrey Grayson - Review". AllMovie.
- Bruce G. Hallenbeck, British Cult Cinema: Hammer Fantasy and Sci-Fi, Hemlock Books 2011 p46
- "» A Movie Review by Dan Stumpf: DICK BARTON STRIKES BACK (1949)".
- "Dick Barton Strikes Back Review (1949)". www.thespinningimage.co.uk.
- "Dick Barton Strikes Back - TV Guide". TVGuide.com.