Highly Dangerous (1950)

A bit of a snoozer about a female entomologist (Margaret Lockwood) who's sent by British Intelligence into enemy territory to collect specimens of insects the British believe are being manufactured to spread biological agents. It sounds like a promising premise for a noirish thriller, which is what got me to watch the film in the first place. But it's quite boring, and I found myself drifting off multiple times throughout the film.Lockwood herself is completely unengaging. I don't know her well enough as an actress to say whether or not she was always so, or just in this film. Lord knows the film doesn't give anyone connected with it much incentive to be inspired. It plays like second-rate Carol Reed.This one is only for completists who want to see every British suspense thriller from the time, or for die-hard Lockwood fans. I imagine most everyone else will be as disappointed with it as I was.Grade: C-

Well the plot entails that an Iron Curtain country is developing insects to use as weapons should the need arise. The British Intelligence Division enlists sweet entomologist Frances Gray to meet up with an agent over the boarder and thus bring back some samples. However things don't go according to plan, and she's forced to rely on the help of newspaper writer Bill Casey to not only get the samples, but to escape the country alive!.The premise, tho oddly appealing, isn't executed with any great conviction. Margaret Lockwood, Dane Clark and Marius Goring are not bad exactly, in fact Clark steals the picture, they just work in motion with the staid nature of the script, and sadly it's one of those films that one cheers when the ending comes, but not as a high point in the picture, more out of relief that it's over. In the films favour is that it is at least offering something different in the British spy caper genre, and the last quarter does contain enough drama to have made it worth your while, but only just mind. 4/10

Although I agree with most of the criticisms in the negative review already posted - I have just watched this movie on TV over lunch and really quite enjoyed it, which is why I came to this site to be reminded of the cast. I was surprised to see Anthony Newly's name - didn't recognise him. Margaret Lockwood looks much prettier than in many of her other films - her mouth is less prominent and her hair better groomed. Although I don't think it is worth seeing more than once - I do think it is pleasurable enough to watch once. Plenty of films are made of which that is not so. So if you haven't seen it - you won't hate it. It's just not absolutely terrific.

Margaret Lockwood is in it- "Hoorah!" And it's about a biological scientist who is sent behind the Iron Curtain as a spy, and she gets captured and, under hypnotism fulfilled her mission. "So Rex Harrison is in it, and the basic plot should be be as logical and driving the action along as (for example)'Night Train to Munich'?" Er... no on both counts. "Why?" Well, Rex wasn't in it. American B-movie actor Dane Clark plays Margaret's buddy. He is a very boring Journalist. And the plot is confused and rambles. And the plot is disjointed and includes a bizarre truth drug/BBC radio serial sub-sub plot. So subplot, I had no idea what was the point of it. "Ah! Anything else?" Yes, who is the child Margaret talks to at the start of the film? Is she married,if so, why does she kiss Dane at the film end? To be blunt, the film should have been re-scripted and re-written and it would have been as good as any film from that period. Better casting and a positive decision by the director and producer whether they were creating a serious spy movie or Light Thriller would have tightened the action,dialogue and direction. I like B&W British Film, but this is one I have seen and will not revisit.