Wealthy aircraft manufacturer Tom Denning and his wife Kay have a daughter, Liz, who is having an affair with Mados, an international crook. Denning meets with Mados in an attempt to get him away from his daughter, but accidentally kills him with a punch when Mados falls and strikes his head. Instead of calling the police, Denning disposes of the body in a ditch. He tries to disguise the identity of the body by placing a large ornate ring on a finger. A gipsy finds the body and steals the ring. Later, torn with his guilt, Denning goes back to pick up the body only to find that it has disappeared.
Film rights were bought by Alexander Korda's London Films.[3] John Mills's casting was announced in May 1951.[4] It was Mills's first film in almost two years.[5]
Sam Wanamaker had been living in England since 1949 and was offered the part after writing to his agent from holiday in France asking if any jobs were going.[7]
Instead of credits appearing on screen at the beginning of the film, a narrator announces the film's title, and then reads out the list of actors' names.
Reception
Box office
The film performed poorly at the British box office.[1]
Critical reception
The New York Times wrote: "this little melodrama serves as still another reminder, from a country that jolly well knows how to exercise it, that restraint can work minor wonders [...] Persuasive and tingling, minus one false note [...] No doubt about it. The British have what it takes."[8]
Variety reviewed the film in 1951 calling it "unconvincing and involved" where the direction was "completely inadequate."[9] Two years later the magazine reviewed it more favorably calling it "tense and skillfully developed."[10]
The Washington Post thought the Rolls-Royce "made more sense than any of the alleged human characters [...] a bit pretentious."[11]
Leslie Halliwell said: "Initially suspenseful but finally disappointing melodrama which seems to lack a twist or two."[12]
In British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959David Quinlan rated the film as "average", writing: "Film walks tightrope between comedy and suspense with varying success."[13]
References
^ abVincent Porter, 'The Robert Clark Account', Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, Vol 20 No 4, 2000 p495
^Schallert, Edwin (25 April 1951). "Drama: Milland, Brian, Carter in 'Bugles;' Nat Holt Buys Oceanic Subject". Los Angeles Times. p. A7.
^"Patricia returns". The Mail. Adelaide. 16 February 1952. p. 6 Supplement: SUNDAY MAGAZINE. Retrieved 20 March 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
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