The Flying Squad (1940 film)
The Flying Squad is a 1940 British crime film directed by Herbert Brenon and starring Sebastian Shaw, Phyllis Brooks and Jack Hawkins. It was based on a novel by Edgar Wallace in which the officers of the Flying Squad attempt to tackle a drug-smuggling organisation.[1] [2] In the past, the novel had been filmed in 1929 and 1932.
| The Flying Squad | |
|---|---|
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| Directed by | Herbert Brenon |
| Produced by | Walter C. Mycroft |
| Written by | Edgar Wallace (novel) Doreen Montgomery |
| Starring | Sebastian Shaw Phyllis Brooks Jack Hawkins Basil Radford |
| Music by | Marr Mackie |
| Cinematography | Claude Friese-Greene Walter J. Harvey |
| Edited by | Monica Kimick Lionel Tomlinson |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Pathé Pictures International |
Release date | 14 October 1940 |
Running time | 64 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Cast
- Sebastian Shaw as Inspector Bradley
- Phyllis Brooks as Ann Perryman
- Jack Hawkins as Mark McGill
- Basil Radford as Sederman
- Ludwig Stössel as Li Yoseph
- Manning Whiley as Ronnie Perryman
- Kathleen Harrison as Mrs. Schifan
- Cyril Smith as Tiser
- Henry Oscar as Sir Edward - Police Commissioner
- Kynaston Reeves as Magistrate
- Allan Jeayes as Johnson
Critical reception
TV Guide wrote, "routine stuff, just as unimaginatively done here as it was in the 1932 film of the same name" ; [3] while Blueprintreview wrote, "to be honest, the story isn’t particularly sophisticated, especially not by today’s standards, but it manages to entertain and hold the attention, even if some of the dialogue feels very unreal – I’m sure police and criminals of that time didn’t speak as posh as they do here!" [4]
References
- "The Flying Squad". BFI. Archived from the original on 13 January 2009.
- "Flying Squad, The (1940) - Overview - TCM.com". Turner Classic Movies.
- "The Flying Squad". TV Guide.
- "Edgar Wallace Presents…The Flying Squad". Blueprint: Review.