The Switch (1963 film)
The Switch is a 1963 British crime drama film directed by Peter Maxwell, and starring Anthony Steel, Zena Marshall and Conrad Phillips.[2] The film concerns a criminal gang that smuggles watches into the UK by hiding them in the petrol tank of a woman's car. It was Susan Shaw's last film.
| The Switch | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Peter Maxwell |
| Written by | Colin Fraser |
| Based on | An original story by Philip Ridgeway |
| Produced by | Philip Ridgeway Lance Comfort |
| Starring | Anthony Steel Zena Marshall Conrad Phillips |
| Cinematography | Stephen Dade |
| Edited by | Tom Simpson |
| Music by | Eric Spear |
Production company | Philip Ridgeway Productions |
| Distributed by | Rank Film Distributors |
Release date | May 1963 |
Running time | 69 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | £24,000[1] |
| Box office | £22,009 (as at 31 Dec 1965)[1] |
Plot
Caroline Markham (Zena Marshall) is abducted by a criminal gang because she knows too much. The gang specialises in smuggling wrist watches into the UK. Bill Craddock (Anthony Steel), a customs officer, attempts to rescue Caroline.
Cast
- Anthony Steel as Bill Craddock
- Zena Marshall as Caroline Markham
- Conrad Phillips as John Curry
- Dermot Walsh as Inspector Tomlinson
- Susan Shaw as Search Officer
- Dawn Beret as Janice Lampton
- Jerry Desmonde as Customs Chief
- Arnold Diamond as Jean Lecraze
- Raymond Smith as Mandreos
- Tom Bowman as Polovski
- Arthur Ludgrove as Harry Lewis
- Gordon Boyd as Jack Knighton
- Ken Goodlet as Read
- Rose Alba as Bill's Secretary
- Anthony Parker as Police Inspector
- Desmond Cullum-Jones as Merrall
- Yvonne Marsh as Nurse
- Jimmy Hanley as himself
Production
This was Anthony Steel's first film in Britain in a number of years, following his move to Rome.[3]
Recent assessment of the film
According to TV Guide, "Audiences are likely to check their watches frequently during this lifeless crime thriller."[4]
References
- Laura Mayne (2017) Whatever happened to the British ‘B’ movie? Micro-budget film-making and the death of the one-hour supporting feature in the early 1960s, Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, 37:3, 559-576 p 567, DOI: 10.1080/01439685.2016.1220765
- BFI.org
- Vagg, Stephen (23 September 2020). "The Emasculation of Anthony Steel: A Cold Streak Saga". Filmink.
- "The Switch".
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