A very British thriller – exciting, but sensible and orderly, and the protagonist/antagonist is an eccentric scientist, it’s more of an ensemble piece than a star vehicle. The scientist wants to blow up London if the government won’t renounce nuclear weapons but we don’t meet him until 30 minutes in. There’s an investigating officer (Andre Morrell) but also the scientist’s daughter and her boyfriend (his assistant, who switches off the bomb at the end). London is evacuated but everyone behaves in an orderly manner - polite bus conductors, mute grumbling, a little looting. It completely works on it's own terms - the sympathetic goals of the scientist make it unusually compelling (there's no denying he's a nutter though - would his daughter and assistant really have no idea of this?)
I was surprised the landlady murderer aspect of the plot (the scientist is confused for one) didn't pay off more. And did he sleep with the cockney (the slightly irritating Olive Sloane) or not? Wonderful scenes of near-deserted London.
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