Delayed Action
1954 British film by John Harlow
title: "Delayed Action" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1954-films", "british-mystery-films", "films-directed-by-john-harlow", "1950s-mystery-films", "films-shot-at-twickenham-film-studios", "1950s-english-language-films", "british-black-and-white-films", "1954-british-films", "english-language-mystery-films"] description: "1954 British film by John Harlow" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delayed_Action" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary 1954 British film by John Harlow ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox film"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Delayed Action |
| image | Delayed_Action_film_Theatrical_release_poster_(1954-2).jpg |
| caption | Theatrical release poster |
| director | John Harlow |
| producer | Robert S. Baker |
| Monty Berman | |
| writer | Geoffrey Orme |
| starring | Robert Ayres |
| June Thorburn | |
| Alan Wheatley | |
| Bruce Seton | |
| cinematography | Gerald Gibbs |
| music | John Lanchbery |
| editing | Bill Lewthwaite |
| studio | Kenilworth Film Productions |
| distributor | General Film Distributors |
| released | |
| runtime | 58 minutes |
| country | United Kingdom |
| language | English |
| :: |
| name = Delayed Action | image = Delayed_Action_film_Theatrical_release_poster_(1954-2).jpg | caption = Theatrical release poster | director = John Harlow | producer = Robert S. Baker Monty Berman | writer = Geoffrey Orme | narrator = | starring = Robert Ayres June Thorburn Alan Wheatley Bruce Seton | cinematography = Gerald Gibbs | music = John Lanchbery | editing = Bill Lewthwaite | studio = Kenilworth Film Productions | distributor = General Film Distributors | released = | runtime = 58 minutes | country = United Kingdom | language = English | budget = Delayed Action is a 1954 British second feature ('B') film noir mystery film directed by John Harlow and starring Robert Ayres, June Thorburn and Alan Wheatley. It was written by Geoffrey Orme, produced by Robert S. Baker and Monty Berman for Kenilworth Film Productions and released by General Film Distributors.
Plot
Two criminals do a deal with a suicidal man, who will confess to crimes they have committed before killing himself. However he subsequently has a change of heart.
Cast
- Robert Ayres as Ned Ellison
- June Thorburn as Anne Curlew
- Alan Wheatley as Mark Cruden
- Bruce Seton as Sellars
- Michael Balfour as Honey
- Michael Kelly as Lobb
- John Horsley as Worsley
- Olive Kirby as Angela Bentley
- Ballard Berkeley as Insp. Crane
- Ian Fleming as Dr. Jepson
- Myrtle Reed as Jackie
- Dennis Chinnery as bank cashier
- Charles Lamb as bank clerk
- Arthur Hewlett as Battersby (uncredited)
- Frederick Leister as Sir Francis Henry (uncredited)
Production
It was shot at Twickenham Studios in London with sets designed by the art director Wilfred Arnold.
Critical reception
The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "The confused and ragged script leaves many points of this improbable story unexplained. Both production and acting are unconvincing, and for a thriller the film is remarkably lacking in thrills."
Kine Weekly wrote: "Cock-and-bull cameo crime melodrama. ... Wildly incredible and all loose ends, it fails to make sense, let alone carry conviction. Third-rate quota second."
TV Guide wrote, "Robbers pay suicidal writer Ayres to confess to their crime and kill himself should their scheme fail. An interesting premise in an otherwise dull movie."
Radio Times noted, "The prolific B-team of Monty Berman and Robert S Baker were the brains behind this moody little thriller. There's a hint here of the ingenuity that would lead to their TV success with such series as The Saint and Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)."
References
References
- (2009). "''The British 'B' Film''". [[BFI]]/[[Bloomsbury Publishing.
- (2009-04-16). "BFI | Film & TV Database | DELAYED ACTION (1954)". Ftvdb.bfi.org.uk.
- "Delayed Action: Information from". Answers.com.
- (1 January 1954). "Delayed Action".
- (29 July 1954). "Delayed Action".
- "Delayed Action Trailer, Reviews and Schedule for Delayed Action | TVGuide.com". Movies.tvguide.com.
- "Delayed Action | Film review and movie reviews". Radio Times.
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