House of Secrets (1956 film)
House of Secretsis a 1956 British crime thriller film directed by Guy Green and starring Michael Craig, Anton Diffring and Gérard Oury.[1] It was filmed in Technicolor and VistaVision. It was shot at Pinewood Studios near London and on location in Paris and Marseille. The film's sets were designed by the art director Alex Vetchinsky while the costumes were by Julie Harris.
| House of Secrets | |
|---|---|
.jpg.webp) UK theatrical poster | |
| Directed by | Guy Green |
| Written by | Robert Buckner Bryan Forbes |
| Based on | novel Storm Over Paris by Sterling Noel |
| Produced by | Vivian Cox Julian Wintle |
| Starring | Michael Craig Anton Diffring Gérard Oury |
| Cinematography | Harry Waxman |
| Edited by | Sidney Hayers |
| Music by | Hubert Clifford |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Rank Film Distributors |
Release date | 23 October 1956 (UK) |
Running time | 85 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Cast
- Michael Craig as Larry Ellis / Steve Chancellor
- Anton Diffring as Anton Lauderbach
- Gérard Oury as Julius Pindar
- Brenda De Banzie as Madame Isabella Ballu
- Geoffrey Keen as Colonel Burleigh, CIA
- David Kossoff as Henryk van de Heide, CIA
- Barbara Bates as Judy Anderson
- Alan Tilvern as Brandelli
- Julia Arnall as Diane Gilbert
- Gordon Tanner as Curtice
- Eugene Deckers as Vidal
- Eric Pohlmann as Gratz
- Jean Driant as Gratz's assistant (uncredited)[2]
- Carl Jaffe as Walter Dorffman
Plot
The film, based on the novel Storm Over Paris by Sterling Noel, follows a man who is sent undercover to infiltrate an international crime organization planning to inundate the UK with huge amounts of near perfect forged UK Bank Notes to damage the UK Economy. In this very well-made Glossy Colourful British Film Michael Craig (Larry Ellis) is similar to an early James Bond character. The only thing which might spoil it for some viewers is the slightly abrupt ending. Beautifully photographed entirely in Paris, France.
Production
Michael Craig called his part "a sort of forerunner to the James Bond type of movie" which "in spite of all our best efforts it ended up being fairly boring." He was paid £30 a week.[3] The film was shot on location in France.[4]
References
- BFI Database entry
- "Jean Driant". IMDb.
- Craig, Michael (2005). The Smallest Giant: An Actor's Life. Allen and Unwin. p. 74.
- Schwartzman, Arnold (19 November 1991). "Interview with Guy Green side 3". British Entertainment History Project.