4K Ultra HD Assessment – Mantrap (1953)

      **Mantrap, 1953.**

      **Directed by:** Terence Fisher.

      **Cast:** Paul Henreid, Lois Maxwell, Kieron Moore, Hugh Sinclair, Lloyd Lamble, Kay Kendall, Bill Travers, and Barbara Shelley.

      **SYNOPSIS:**

      A private detective joins forces with a man wrongly convicted of murder to uncover the true culprit behind the crime for which he was imprisoned.

      Mervyn Speight (Kieron Moore) escapes from prison after being found guilty of a murder he insists he did not commit. His wife, Thelma (Lois Maxwell), is scared that he will try to reach her and has adopted her new partner Victor Tasman’s (Bill Travers) surname. Meanwhile, lawyer and private investigator Hugo Bishop (Paul Henreid) is determined to prove Speight's innocence, guided by a strong instinct that suggests he was not the actual murderer.

      Adapted from Elleston Trevor's novel *Queen in Danger* and helmed by Hammer veteran Terence Fisher, *Mantrap* is Hammer's earnest attempt to emulate the American noir thrillers, where damsels in distress seek the help of a detective clad in a trilby and raincoat, often in dimly lit settings or smoky jazz venues. They succeed to some extent, especially with Lois Maxwell, who portrays a glamorous Thelma Tasman, torn by trauma and genuinely believing her husband is guilty, and Paul Henreid shines as Hugo Bishop, who recognizes Speight's innocence from the start and is convinced he can prove it, but only if particular individuals act in specific ways at certain times.

      While the story unfolds as Bishop anticipates, his knowledge of Speight's innocence shifts the narrative focus from a classic mystery to a deeper inquiry about motives. The film struggles with a disjointed script that introduces numerous characters who might or might not relate to Bishop’s theories, leading to confusion over their identities and connections to Thelma, as it seems every man in London is linked to her. The film is further hampered by clumsy dialogue (“When I knew her, she was dead,” says a confused character) and a lack of direction, ultimately presenting a convoluted array of voices without significant development, particularly as Bishop remains tight-lipped to preserve the element of surprise.

      The final moments offer a compelling twist and a clever referencing of earlier plot points, but by then, the audience has endured over an hour of little actual action. This is unfortunate since there are aspects worth appreciating. Paul Henreid shares great chemistry with his female co-stars, particularly with Kay Kendall, who plays his fiancée/secretary, Vera. His early-Columbo demeanor is enjoyable, and when Fisher employs noir aesthetics, the film looks excellent; however, he seems hesitant to fully embrace that style, as if unsure about competing with larger American films. Fisher would later hone his skills in crafting Gothic horror films for Hammer in the following years, but in this instance, he appears to be a director experimenting with a style he was assigned, despite contributing to the writing.

      As expected, Hammer has provided extensive supplementary content, including featurettes on filming locations, details about the *Queen in Danger* novel, behind-the-scenes footage, audio commentaries, and a collectible booklet with information on the main stars. However, the extras tend to be more engaging than the film itself, including the appealing new box artwork.

      Regardless of *Mantrap's* strengths and weaknesses, collectors are likely to want to add it to their expanding Hammer 4K box set collections. However, for casual viewers, there is little incentive to spend significant money on it. *Mantrap* isn’t a poor film, but rather an uneventful one that contains the necessary elements to succeed yet fails to utilize them effectively. If you appreciated Paul Henreid in *Stolen Face*, you may find him just as endearing here—perhaps even more so. Additionally, seeing Lois Maxwell before her Bond era is a delightful experience for cinephiles. However, aside from being Barbara Shelley’s debut in a Hammer film, there’s not much else to champion in *Mantrap*.

      **Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★**

      *Chris Ward*