Smokescreen (1964)

Too many fans seem to be blown away

In other words,this film is a surreal ride.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

A blazing car crashes over a cliff. No body is found. It belonged to a co-owner of a business. Both owners had recently taken out large insurance policies. The insurance company is naturally suspicious and send an agent (Peter Vaughn) to investigate. The time frame of the accident adds to his suspicions. To complicate matters it turns out that there was an offer to buy the business that the missing man rejected but which his partner wanted to accept. To further complicate matters the local insurer (John Carson) who sold the policies loves the missing man's wife (the beautiful Yvonne Romain).The film has a bit more depth than normal B-movie fare. Throughout there is a running theme about Vaughan's expenses. This seems to be for low comedic effect but later we learn why he is so tight with money. Similarly with the denouement we learn why the film's title is appropriate.This is a pleasant, undemanding little B-movie for all the family. I give it a 7 because it's a well-made, well-written, well-acted low budget film lacking star names. Had it had an A-list budget I'd have given it a 6.

Came across this little known British Thriller when searching the net for similar movies. This is one of a number made by Renown pictures and there are many available to buy from them or Amazon.This is the first one I watched and I liked it very much. The story revolves around a supposed life assurance fraud, possible suicide and maybe murder.Like a lot of similar films of the time it is very short at 66 minutes but that was the least of my worries.There are some great parts played by well known character actors like Patrick flood, Deryck Guyler and Glynn Edwards, however the show is stolen by the marvellous Peter Vaughan as the tight fisted assessor, although as we see later in the film he has good reason for his meanness. I googled him afterwards and see he is still working at nearly 90!An enjoyable hour or so and I look forward to watching more in the series.

Peter Vaughan, a wonderful actor, is the rather slimy insurance investigator investigating a claim in coastal Sussex.And this unlikely hero succeeds where the Police have failed!Made on a tiny budget, this film proves that enormous budgets are not always necessary to make good cinema.Truly a minimalist marvel.

Made on a zero budget as a programme filler in the mid-Sixties. Don't let this put you off. Worth watching for the quirky, amusing script and the central performance from the always excellent Peter Vaughan. The murder mystery isn't perhaps up to Agatha Christie's standard, but the idea of insurance investigator as detective is a fairly novel one. (OK so they did it in 'Double Indemnity') Also a decent document of Britain in the early sixties.