Any film that can overcome a major hurdle like convincing the audience that Oscar Homolka - with THAT accent - is French has to be taken seriously. Homolka, who was actually Austrian and copped an Oscar in his very next film, I Remember Mama, playing a Norwegian, is mostly associated with mittel Europeans and walks away with this film despite solid support from the likes of Kenneth Griffith, Gary Marsh, Derek Farr and his new real-life wife Muriel Pavlov and an uncredited Diana Dors as Griffith's girl friend. It's a solid drama with Antiques dealer Homolka dabbling in a little fencing on the side to help gifted violinist daughter Pavlov further her career. Employee Griffith catches on, blackmails Homolka and, not unnaturally it all ends in tears. It's barely 90 minutes but hugely entertaining.
Review of The Shop at Sly Corner
