Mann im Netz (1949)

Mann im Netz: Directed by Lawrence Huntington. With Derek Farr, Joan Hopkins, Edward Chapman, Laurence Harvey. In post-war Britain, an army deserter unwittingly gets involved in murder and armed-robbery and enlists the aid of a war widow to help clear his name.

“Although I saw this on a very poor DVD transfer it held my attention from beginning to end. Yes, as other reviewers have pointed out, thereu0026#39;s nothing new here, but itu0026#39;s expertly done, and itu0026#39;s interesting to know that there were apparently 20,000 deserters on the run in the UK in 1949, and one imagines that many of them were as hard-done-by as our hero, but I wonu0026#39;t spoil anything by revealing why he deserted. The film is certainly sympathetic to those 20,000 men who get the blame, by several representative members of the cast, for everything thatu0026#39;s wrong with post-war Britain. Derek Farr is excellent in the main role as the deserter who has to raise some money when Kenneth More, who had served in the same outfit, happens into the pub where heu0026#39;s working under an alias and decides to blackmail him. While heu0026#39;s trying to pawn a gun the pawnshop is robbed and a policeman killed making him one of the suspects. Joan Hopkins is the sympathetic woman who helps him. Edward Chapman is the inspector investigating the case with ever-increasing impatience. Laurence Harvey, although billed fourth, has little to do as a sergeant with a soft spot for Hopkins. Plenty of noir atmosphere. Recommended.”