James Hitchcock In Britain, as in America, there seemed to be an unwritten convention in the fifties that certain film genres were more suited to colour and others to black-and-white, and crime dramas fell firmly into the latter category. This was true both of films directly influenced by the American film noir tradition, such as "The Man Between", "The Long Memory" and "Tread Softly Stranger", and of other British crime dramas of the era such as "The Blue Lamp","Town on Trial" and "Stage Fright", Hitchcock's only British film of the decade. "Lost", however, is one of the exceptions, being made in vivid Technicolor, possibly because it is not primarily a film noir or a suspense thriller but a police procedural. Simon, the infant son of Lee Cochrane, an American diplomat, and his Austrian-born fashion designer wife Sue, is kidnapped when his nanny leaves him in his pram outside a London shop. (Younger people may find this hard to believe, but in the fifties and sixties it was common practice for mothers and others having charge of young children to leave them outside in their prams while they were shopping). Detective Inspector Craig of Scotland Yard is charged with investigating the crime. With his aquiline features, David Farrar would have made an excellent Sherlock Holmes, and he plays the patient, methodical, unemotional Craig very much as a detective of the Holmes school. He is a far cry from the rough, tough, Dirty Harry types we have become used to ever since the sixties. His method of solving the crime is to examine all the discarded items- a button from an expensive coat, a paper bag from a baker's shop in Slough, a torn page from a library book- which he finds in the vicinity of Simon's pram in Hyde Park and to trace them back to their source with the help of the Yard's forensic department. His colleagues- and Simon's distraught parents- are sceptical about this methodology, but Craig is vindicated when one of these objects does indeed prove to be the vital clue. The other cast member who stand out is the lovely Julia Arnall as Sue. Julia (who like her character was Austrian by birth) was one of the most beautiful actresses the British film industry during this period, with the looks of another Grace Kelly, but never seemed to become a major star. In Britain, as in Hollywood, looks alone have never been a cast- iron guarantee of stardom. I said earlier that this is not primarily a suspense thriller, but the final scene, a literal cliffhanger set on Beachy Head near Eastbourne, is clearly influenced by Hitchcock. (Similarly, "Town on Trial" also has a very Hitchcockian finale, in that case set on a church steeple). It is not, however, a film which one would watch today for thrills. If one watches it at all- and I can appreciate that to some modern film fans it would seem very slow and dated- it is for its historic interest as an example of an old-fashioned type of crime drama and as a nostalgic view of the now-vanished Britain of the fifties. 6/10 A goof. Craig states that an abduction can only legally be called a "kidnapping" when it is followed by a demand for money with menaces. This is not true today and was not true in 1956. In English common law, kidnapping is the unlawful taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, whether or not a demand for money with menaces is made. The making of such a demand constitutes the separate offence of blackmail.

alexgreig An evocative snapshot of England in the 50s as seen by filmmakers but about as close to the real thing as Mrs Dale's Diary. Accents are split into regal cut glass, chirpy cockney and Farmer Giles. As it is in colour, it is redeemed somewhat by the vivid images of London and the suburbs. However, the acting and dialogue are occasionally dire. David Farrar is OK as the chief cop, although probably wishing he was in Hollywood. David Knight, token Yank, has all the charisma of a wet haddock and Julia Arnall, pretty as she is, has the acting talent of the Woodentops. The exchanges between them almost ruin the film. However, worth a viewing to spot some famous character actors and for the unravelling of the convoluted plot. And it is good to see that the police had so much resource available those days that they were able to assign a detective inspector to the child's disappearance within an hour of it happening

ianlouisiana After a long and successful career as a cinematographer this was Guy Green's second effort as a director and he approached "Lost" in a straightforward narrative manner,adopting an almost documentary style not unlike a Rank "Look at Life"episode featuring the workings of the Met Police.To some extent the involvement of the missing baby's parents is almost a side issue to the police procedural - type exposition of the plot.Mr D.Farrar is excellent as the senior detective to whom the kidnap is but one of a number of parallel enquiries.Dedicated,pains-taking,a stickler for protocol,smartly dressed and articulate,he is the type of copper that has disappeared from the radar in the last thirty years or so since "The Sweeney" made it fashionable for detectives to grunt,sniff and swear at everyone in between taking great gulps from the office Scotch. His sidekicks Mr A.Oliver and in particular the lovely Miss E.Summerfield also shine and are spick and span and clearly clean in thought,word and deed. Miss Julia Arnall is very beautiful,exquisitely dressed and a better actress than she has been given credit for.She is eminently believable as the distraught middle - class mother repressed by her own upbringing. Mr D.Knight as her husband is slightly less satisfactory.Presumably included as the token American presence he plays as very much second fiddle to the formidable Miss Arnall. My personal favourite Miss Shirley Anne Field makes her first credited movie appearance as what in the 1950s was known - disgracefully - as a "lumpy jumpered petrol pumper", posh daughter of yokel taxi driver Mr G.Woodbridge. For those who remember bomb sites,Booklovers' Libraries and paper bags with shop names on them,"Lost" is a positive feast of nostalgia. Judged on it's own merits it is a highly competent piece of work with a splendid cast right down to the wines and spirits.I can thoroughly recommend it to lovers of well - paced Britsh crime dramas just a little out of the main stream.And those clothes,those cars...the height of 1950s chic.

vitessepulsar Very underrated, little seen film. Interesting for the extensive location filming and of course all the period cars, clothing etc. All the better for the high quality colour film used. Julia Arnall is beautiful and so 'of her time'. Shame she didn't do many other films and is virtually unknown today. The story is of course very dated now but this doesn't detract from the overall enjoyment. In fact the film is now best viewed as a rare historical record of Britain in the mid. 50's. A DVD copy would be excellent for producing 'stills', especially if interested in classic cars or period fashions, even pictures of the lovely Ms. Arnall ! The ending is probably a little weak - how did she get the pram up the steps ? I will be recording this film the next time it's on. Recommended.