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Bookmark this pageThe Next of Kin (1942)
Director: Thorold Dickinson
Movie review
From Time Out Film Guide
Originally intended as an army training film advising that 'Careless Talk Costs Lives', this was expanded by Ealing into a feature thriller. The switch shows in the didactic pacing, especially at the beginning, but like Cavalcanti's Went The Day Well? (though not as good), the film has a chillingly casual authenticity as it noses into seedy byways to uncover the chain of fifth columnists that includes an antiquarian bookseller (Murray), a stripper (Stanley) and an Irish sailor (Victor). Although the ending was softened when Churchill wanted to have the film banned as a threat to morale (the 'betrayed' commando raid succeeds, though only at the cost of heavy casualties), it still stands up pretty well.Author: TM
Cast & crew
Director: Thorold Dickinson
Producer: Michael Balcon
Cast: Mervyn Johns, John Chandos, Nova Pilbeam, David Hutcheson, Stephen Murray, Phyllis Stanley, Charles Victor, Basil Radford, Naunton Wayne, Jack Hawkins full cast
Genre(s): Thrillers
Duration: 102 mins
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