User Reviews

A man buys a jewelled necklace with a dud cheque. A private investigator Marjorie Stedman is tasked by solicitor Vance to find the man and give him the mysterious message, "South Africa Smith is in town." She searches for him but things are complicated when the man turns up dead on the muddy shore of the River Thames and Vance dispenses with her services. Marjorie suspects something more is going on and determines to carry on investigating. And then South Africa Smith turns up! Directed efficiently by Montgomery Tully this is another decent film in the Edgar Wallace series with some interesting location shooting in London and a brisk script.

Dominating the film is the beauteous Hazel Court as Marjorie Stedman, smart and witty and all together charming and capable. Also in the film are a host of good British acting talents just right for their roles; Robert Dorning, Paul Eddington, Kevin Stoney, Lisa Daniely and Jack Watson and Vanda Godsell in bit roles.

It might not be the most original of stories but moves along at an entertaining pace to the satisfying conclusion.

Usually in these Edgar Wallace mysteries, the detective is a middle aged man, stiff upper lip and all. In this one, that is changed to an attractive young woman (Hazel Court), getting reluctant assistance by a rather brutish man, the strangely named South Africa Smith (Johnny Crawford) who has knowledge of the world of diamond mining. The diamond in the case wasn't stolen, but paid for with a bad check, and when the culprit is murdered, Court and Crawford forge an odd partnership.

The way Crawford introduces himself to Court could've gotten himself killed had she been armed so he's a bit off-putting at first. He's certainly no friend to good manners. Obviously there's more to this case than just a rubber check and a brash intruder, and when it's all revealed, it's not a much ado about nothing case, but still not as shocking as it could have been.