ChikPapa Very disappointed :(

SnoReptilePlenty Memorable, crazy movie

Plustown A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

Kaydan Christian A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Alex da Silva Hugh Latimer is PC 49 who goes undercover to catch a gang of thieves operating in London and the Home Counties. Their MO is to find out information about lorry cargos and then just blatantly steal the lorry whilst the driver has a snack at a café. Just drive off with the lorry - zoom. It's a simple plan and bags the gang a tidy fortune. However, Hugh is on a mission and it means tracking down the boss.Who is the boss? Who is Mr Big? If you can't guess immediately, you are pretty stupid. The film screams it at you so there isn't any mystery and this somewhat ruins the tension in the climactic scenes. It's just not a surprise.The film is ok to pass the time but extremely stupid if you think about it. The plot that the police come up with is ridiculous. Part of Latimer's cover story is that he used to work for a gang with someone who actually works for the gang he is going to infiltrate. What happens when this crook - Martin Benson (Skinny) - comes face to face with Latimer and doesn't recognize him? They don't seem to have covered that base. WHAT??!! The film may not be brilliant but it just may trigger an urge in you to learn the craft of origami.

Leofwine_draca THE ADVENTURES OF P.C. 49 is another cheapie from the Hammer Films stable, released in 1949 alongside seemingly a dozen similar productions. It's based on a popular BBC radio character, a crime-fighting copper who was also in print in the newspapers. Hugh Latimer plays said P.C. 49, a policeman who longs for more excitement than tackling the latest traffic violation. He finds it when he encounters a gang of violent thieves and is singularly placed to tackle them himself. Although this is a cheap story that takes place in just a few different locations, including a greasy spoon cafe, I enjoyed it. It seems to be inspired by the 'Ma Baker gang' who terrorised America in the 1930s and even has a little action to recommend it. Two stalwart supporting actors of the 1950s, Michael Ripper and Martin Benson, turn up in effective tough guy roles and there's some nice peril at the climax too. A sequel, without Latimer, called A CASE FOR P.C. 49, followed.

hwg1957-102-265704 A police constable P.C 99 (real name Archibald Berkeley-Willoughby) goes undercover to get the goods on a gang of lorry hijackers helped by his girlfriend and backed reluctantly by his superiors at the police station. This is the first film of two based upon the adventures of P.C. 99 as broadcast on the BBC. There is not much mystery except for the identity of the gang leader but it moves fast enough and has good dialogue.Hugh Latimer is likeable as P.C. 99 and Patricia Cutts as his girlfriend Joan is even more appealing. There are good character actors in attendance like Pat Nye (Ma Brady), Martin Benson (Skinny) and the ubiquitous Michael Ripper (Fingers) to add flavour . Director Godfrey Grayson specialised in radio adaptations early in his career, also doing films about Simon Cherry, Dr. Morelle and of course Dick Barton.

Spondonman The previous post has given the complete background details to 49 … 1949 in Britain that is! This was an embryonic Hammer shoe-string production, a companion piece to their equally enjoyable Dick Barton trilogy, and again based on a popular BBC radio series. The standard of film-making was pretty feeble but honest and imho of probable greater social relevance in the final analysis than most other British films made that year, and there were plenty of British high class classics in '49 too.Gangly Metropolitan constable Archibald Berkeley-Willoughby (PC 49) wants to be assigned to special duties to help track down a violent gang of truck hi-jackers stealing fags and booze galore. To this end he frequents all the greasy spoon cafés he can find that lorry drivers stop for a cup of char, especially dear old Ma Brady's. He cannily infiltrates the gang, which amazingly turns out to be the original Brady Bunch, displaying such a level of foresight along the way it's amazing the goodies weren't all shot to pieces well before the end. But as this was aimed at a younger audience it should be apparent right from the off whether good will triumph over bad. Hugh Latimer seemed an odd choice for the job: he looked more convincing playing the baddie in here, and was an uncomfortable woodentop for a lot of his PC scenes, while his girlfriend was well played by Patricia Cutts but with an indelibly painted on smile. The original radio pair Brian Reece as 49 and Joy Shelton as his fiancé thankfully moved in for the sequel.But still indispensable for a window on the mores of a vanished race, and also a nice hour's entertainment for the discerning. Sadly most serious people today would utterly despise this even after watching it assiduously for the hour too! I wish it had been two hours long.