This wonderful film shot in London and Wales during late 1955 is a must for all lovers of 1950's British cinema and this late Ealing Studios masterpiece is as good as anything ever to leave the cutting room of that great British film institution. As simply a film the plot of an unsolvable robbery is very cleverly constructed and little by little the expert veteran detective (Hawkins) and his new sergeant nibble away at the clues, it may seem rather familiar but this is the template on which the likes of the TV Gideon of Scotland yard was built. Hawkins always excellent is brilliant throughout totally convincing as the career copper who loves his job. Back in the nineteen fifties the coppers always got their bad guy and no villain was beyond the law as the title infers, cynicism and shades of Gray would have to wait another decade or so more. Fans of the era such as my self sees a treasure trove of fifties stereotypes but stay at home house wives were the normal back then as was chain smoking drinking on the job if only a small beer and the odd whiskey for bigger problems, everyone wore an overcoat and a hat while London was mostly Gray dull damp smog-ed and still bombed out while car owner ship was still mostly for the better off. Please note the car park right outside the doors of the Royal Festival hall, then only a few years old, boy was parking handy back then. My old Dinky toy cars were in every day use Ford Pilot, Wolseley 4/44 police cars, a Jaguar mark on. Oh! Oh! the nostalgia and all in glorious black and white. Enjoy!
Review of The Third Key
