In the 50s the Rank Organisation made a heap of thrillers, then stopped for a bit, then started again with films like this.
It's not bad, the story of a kidnapped baby. Who can't feel for that? Janet Green was a handy writer.
It struggles with the Rank-ness of the time. There's too many characters. They should've just had the mother not both parents - get rid of the dad (David Knight), make it a single mum, she could've romanced the detective (David Farrar), and done work on her own (more scary).
Really nice colour. Third tier Rank star power - David Knight who can't act well and the girl. Shirley Ann Field is in it, very fetching, with a dubbed voice.
The police follow lots of dead ends - clues that lead nowhere, scammers, journalists exploiting them - which does feel real though is also unsatisfactory. I think they needed some human story to progress it like the cop having a personal issue instead of being right all the time (he's smug about not paying kidnappers) or the father feeling guilt about an affair or the couple having broken up or something.
I will say it's great suspense because you don't know who did it - then it turns out to be the old Law and Order standbye, the deranged mother who lost her own baby.
I do like a female writer has ensured some key breaks are from women - one who discovers a clue reading a racy book while another a female cop. Green did what she could.
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