Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4296 in DVD
• Released on: 2008-02-11
• Rating: Universal, suitable for all
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Black & White, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 92 minutes

Synopsis
A well-made police thriller which follows a Scotland Yard Detective Superintendent as he finds links between a recent robbery from a safe in a London office building and other similar crimes over the past two years. In every instance the make of the safe was the same.

Customer Reviews

No chance for chummy...
Made at a time when Scotland Yard could have a simply frightful time catching a smash and grab raider, apart from anything else; when the old hands can remember criminals whole families and what prisons they are/were in; when an anonymous caller gives a tip off and all Scotland Yard swings immediately and earnestly into action; when crimes were recorded on index cards and a whole army of men employed to manually cross check everything; when department store sales clerks spoke with an Oxbridge accent; when everybody smoked; when kids thought it was wizard to have lemonade (with straws) at birthday parties; when your wife worried about you; and when you called your quarry 'chummy'...

This is so cheesy by modern standards that it's almost a self-parody - almost, but not quite. (In fact I did burst out laughing when Jack Hawkins was speculating about 'chummy', with a anguished look on his face). Nevertheless, it still manages to tell a great story and has some glorious outdoor photography of the period, especially central London. Hawkins is great, playing his role with dogged determination and typical British resolve.

Another thing that strikes me watching these old b/w films is just how brilliantly even the minor characters are played. Watch out for Meredith Edwards - the garage owner in Wales, and particularly the flawless understated acting of the woman in her only scene who offers Hawkins a cup of tea, but he declines).

Great fun from a long gone era and highly recommended for many reasons including, but not limited to, the story.

The Long Arm (1956)
This is a classic cops and robbers caper made in 1956 and leads the viewer through the various layers of police tactics that were available at the time. The scenes of London in that era are a complete nostalgia fest with good use of locations. The Long Arm is fine example of a strong story made during simpler times.
Jack Hawkins at his effortless best.

Wonderful slice of history
I have to confess that I nearly didn't buy this DVD, because of some comments on here that suggested that there was something wrong with the sound quality and that it was a poor copy. Well I took a chance and I can say that the picture quality is perfect, could have been filmed yesterday, so my worries were unfounded, and there is nothing wrong with the sound on the copy I've got. This is a very enjoyable film with some lovely photography of London Streets before Marxist/Communist leaders got a hold. You know what I mean?