Review of The Third Key

To give you some idea how small the world of British TV and movies really is,seven of the actors featured in "The Long Arm" went on to appear in either "Z Cars" and its spin - off "Softly,softly"(or both) and the marvellous Arthur Rigby was a cornerstone of "Dixon of Dock Green". Here they all enjoy a Policemans's Holiday in a rather exciting Jack Hawkins feature that packs in a lot of action in a relatively short time. Sharp and well - scripted,it features many actors beloved of 1950s moviegoers who seldom disappointed their admirers.Mr Hawkins' name on the poster could certainly put bums on seats and he was at the height of his pulling - power in 1956.His strange mixture of kindness and irascibility hit a chord with the British audience and he picked his parts accordingly.As Supt Halliday he has the 1950s senior detective off pat.Not afraid to wield power,sure of his place in the order of things but,overall,decent and fair - minded. Noir - ish but in no way an early "hommage","The Long Arm" is a superior offering in the police - procedural style that will please lovers of British Crime Movies from the age of innocence long before the "No Comment" interview was invented.