JohnHowardReid Although he directed numerous TV assignments, actor Robert Douglas directed only the one theatrical feature. This is it! And it's a must- see for train buffs, of course, even though it was mostly filmed in the studio. I tend to mostly agree with my colleagues at the Monthly Film Bulletin and The New York Times – though not about Dorinda Stevens. For me, Edina Ronay, who played Julie, was the truly nifty number in the film. I thought Miss Stevens a bit past her prime and Aliza Gur nowhere near as attractively costumed as she is at the climax and one or two other places. Despite its "B" budget, there are some other pleasing touches in the film which vindicate the producer's decision to release it theatrically instead of sending it straight to the box: The climax in the Dunkirk waterworks, for example. Eric Pohlmann plays the villain with his usual aggressiveness. Available on a very good Fox DVD which includes both the widescreen and full screen versions.

Woodyanders Retired American OSS officer Alan Holiday (an earnest and credible performance by Leslie Nielsen) lives in London, England. He's visited on New Year's Eve by the beautiful Catherine Carrel (a charming portrayal by breathtaking brunette knockout Aliza Gur), who claims to be a friend of Holiday's former boss Jules Lemoine (a solid turn by Hugh Latimer). Lemoine convinces Holiday to carry out a secret mission that involves retrieving an important tape. Director Robert Douglas, working from a compact script by Harry Spalding, relates the enjoyable story at a brisk pace and treats the silly material with admirable seriousness. This movie further benefits from such amusing goofy touches as Holiday eluding detection by wearing Groucho Marx-style glasses and a guy in a bear suit. Eric Pohlmann makes a strong impression as hefty and lethal brute Krogh. Moreover, there's some mighty tasty eye candy provided not only by Gur, but also by lovely blonde Dorinda Stevens and the insanely yummy Edina Ronay. Kenny Graham's swinging jazz score hits the groovy spot while the sharp black and white cinematography by Arthur Lavis gives the picture a crisp noirish look. The tight 65 minute running time ensures that this film never gets tedious or overstays its welcome. A fun little quickie.

dbborroughs Leslie Nielsen stars in a smart breezy film about an important magnetic tape that has to go to Paris on New Years Eve. Nielsen goes to the aide of a friend and ends up in murder and espionage as he boards the title and is forced to avoid a mad killer.Its just over an hour and is a fine mix of the silly Nielsen and the very serious one. Its nice to see that he could be both a man of action and a smart mouth fellow. If there is a problem its that its almost too slight a film, the plot propelling things along at such a speed that the film forgets to generate enough suspense. Its kind of a spoiler to say, but you really do know that Nielsen is going to be okay in the end. Its not bad, but when I got to the end of the film I was still hungry for more.Recommended but have a second film ready

wdixon This is a real "sleeper" (no pun intended), a tight, compact suspense film that really keeps moving throughout its economical running time. The cast is uniformly superb, the direction is assured and fluid, and the film is a reminder of just how many quality low-budget films were made even into the 1960s, before the collapse of the double-bill and the end of black and white as a commercial medium. Well worth looking for; I don't know if the film is available on tape. It should be.