A Man on the Beach

A Man on the Beach (1955) is a British fiction featurette.^[1] It was directed by Joseph Losey and produced by Anthony Hinds for Hammer Films. Based on a story by Victor Canning ("Chance At the Wheel") adapted by Jimmy Sangster, his first script,^[2] the film stars Donald Wolfit, Michael Medwin and Michael Ripper.

An old lady is driven to a Mediterranean casino by an un-named chauffeur, (Ripper), in a Rolls-Royce. After briefly playing at the tables without success, the lady visits the manager, played by Alex Gallier. While toasting her loyalty to the casino with champagne, the manager is attacked by the old lady, and his takings are stolen.

In reality, the old ' lady ' is career criminal, Max (Medwin), and the chauffeur is his accomplice on his first job. Journeying into the countryside they stop for Max to change into male clothing. The chauffeur is alarmed when Max reneges on their agreement to divide the stolen money and pulls a gun on him, instead. But Max is accidentally injured when it fires while they fight. With the unconscious chauffeur slumped over the wheel, Max kills him by pushing the car off a cliff. Looking for assistance, Max stumbles across the empty house occupied by the reclusive Carter (Wolfit), a blind alcoholic, and former doctor. Returning shortly afterwards, he discovers his unwanted guest, and the two men talk and drink, though Carter does not reveal his loss of sight, nor Max realise it. He thinks Carter is unwilling to look at his bleeding arm, and uses whisky as disinfectant on his wound. He later passes out.

When he comes around the following morning, he finds his wound treated, Carter absent, and that his bag has been examined. He assumes Carter has gone to the police when he sees Carter's policeman-friend arriving by car. Carter asks him to leave. Whilst threatening to shoot him, Max fills in most of the remaining details of his crime because he assumes he is able to identify him. They struggle, and Max is disarmed. As Carter is unable to find the gun, Max finally realises the other man is blind. Carter's policeman friend arrives as usual to take him fishing, only to have Max hand the day's catch, Max, over to him, instead.

A "modest featurette which scarcely justifies its credits" according to Halliwell's Film and Video Guide which gives the film no stars.^[3] David Caute in his study of Losey is equally dismissive. Viewing the film "is a misfortune - its twenty nine minutes weigh like sixty" whose "dialogue and action are equally amateurish, inconsistent, awful. Everything is spelled out, usually several times."^[4] Wheeler Winston Dixon is more positive: "Immaculately photographed by Wilkie Cooper, this peculiar and atmospheric caper film ... offers an interesting hint as to Losey's future direction in British cinema."^[5]

• Hammer filmography

• A Man on the Beach at IMDb