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 in the USA as Dick Barton, Detective) is a 1948 British second feature ('B')[1] spy film directed by Alfred J. Goulding and starring Don Stannard.[2] It was written by Goulding and Alan Stranks, adapted from the 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.[3]
Plot
[edit]Dick Barton and his colleagues Snowy and Jock are investigating smuggling when attempts are made on his life. It turns out there is 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 movies based on radio and/or TV shows. It was released in the USA as Dick Barton, Detective.[4][5]
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."[6]
DVD Talk wrote "the picture has an Ed Wood-like ineptitude."[7]
Allmovie blamed "too much comic relief and terrible pacing".[3]
References
[edit]- ^ 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.