Review: Mantrap

Kieron Moore escapes from a mental asylum after being convicted of murder. He apparently suffered amnesia thus avoided prison. Now his wife (Lois Maxwell) is scared stiff that he’ll come looking for her, as she’s moved on to another man (Bill Travers) in the intervening years. A friend of the escaped man believes him to be innocent and turns to Paul Henreid for help. A lawyer by trade and former intelligence man, Henreid begins to suspect Moore is actually looking for the real killer to clear his name. Kay Kendall (in fine form as ever) plays Henreid’s helpful secretary and fiancé, whilst Hammer veteran Barbara Shelley makes her screen debut in a small part.

 

A good cast can’t do much to liven up this stiff, thoroughly routine 1953 Hammer film from director Terence Fisher (“The Curse of Frankenstein”, “The Horror of Dracula”), who co-writes with Paul Tabori (“Spaceways”, “Alias John Preston”). Based on a novel by Elleston Trevor, the plot isn’t anywhere near compelling enough, and I think it’s told from the wrong point of view. For my money the story needed to be told from the point of view of the man trying to prove his innocence, otherwise you rob the film of urgency. Unfortunately we get what we get, and what we get is a culprit who is obvious from very early on and a film with not much of a pulse. An overly insistent music score by Doreen Carwithen (Hammer’s “Break in the Circle”) grates too. The cast is good, especially Paul Henreid who sadly was never very well-served by Hammer. It’s also nice to see a young Lois Maxwell essentially in the lead role here.

 

Bottom half of a double bill kind of thing from Hammer, with an uninvolving story and poor lighting. The cast is good, I didn’t much care. Director Fisher has a rare misfire on this one.

 

Rating: C