Scotland Yard Inspector

LADY IN THE FOG (1952) is another of Hammer's early potboilers, adopting a film noir-style thriller template rather than the pure murder mysteries elsewhere. The hero is none other than Cesar Romero (TV's Joker) playing a visiting American who gets drawn in when a man is run down by a car in the fog, the victim of an apparent accident although it transpires that he knew rather too much and died for that knowledge. As usual there's a historical mystery to uncover, a gang of criminals to be brought to justice, and even a bit of action as Romero finds himself having run-ins with henchmen and the like. Geoffrey Keen has a particularly good supporting role, although the film itself is distinctly average: fun in some places (particularly during the climax), but routine in others.

Cesar Romero is an American PI trapped in London, waiting for the fog to lift so his plane can take off. He's passing the time in a bar with Lois Maxwell when a Peeler comes in to use the phone. A man has been struck and killed by a car. Miss Maxwell is convinced that it's her brother, so she and Romero go to look. It's as she feared. She is convinced he was murdered, but Romero's contacts in CID are retired, and there are lots of traffic accidents in Pea-soupers. So Romero and Miss Maxwell investigate. It's a rather old-fashioned movie for 1952; hardly surprising, considering it's financed by Lippert and Hammer. Nonetheless, it's a nicely put together thriller, that leads to some unlikely places, with decent performances; director Sam Newfield, who spent too much of his career at PRC, demonstrates that given a decent script, he can turn out a good movie.

Cesar Romero is also the star of Lady in the Fog (1952) (Scotland Yard Inspector in the USA), competently directed by Pat Jackson and Sam Newfield for Hammer/Lippert. (Jackson and Newfield did not work in tandem. My educated guess is that Jackson was replaced by Newfield when wanted for a more prestigious assignment). The movie also boasts moody photography by Walter J. Harvey. After a slow start, the film gradually picks up pace, coming to a terrific climax in a movie studio. Geoffrey Keen gives a great performance, while Bernadette O'Farrell easily steals the female honors from the nominal star, the surprisingly colorless (at least in this assignment) Lois Maxwell. Available on an excellent VCI DVD.