THE INTRUDER (1953)

 

It's back to Kino's BRIT NOIR COLLECTION II Blu-ray set with a look at 1953's THE INTRUDER, produced by British Lion and directed by Guy Hamilton. 

Once again I have to question the classification of a movie as noir. THE INTRUDER is more of a melodrama dealing with how war and military service affects individuals. The story begins with a stockbroker named Merton (Jack Hawkins) coming home from a golf outing to find that there's a burglar on the premises. Merton is shocked when he recognizes the perpetrator as Ginger Edwards (Michael Medwin), a man who served under him during World War II. Edwards runs away before he can be caught, and Merton decides to track him down on his own, hoping to find out why such a fine soldier has been reduced to theft. 

THE INTRUDER takes on an almost anthology feel as Merton encounters a number of men from his former brigade and asks them about Edwards. There are a number of flashbacks to WWII throughout the film, and each is almost a mini-story in its own--there's even a comic vignette. When we finally get to the sequence explaining what has happened to Edwards since he came home from the war, it comes off too abruptly--the fellow's entire life falls apart literally in a few scenes. I believe the story would have worked better if more time had been spent setting up and detailing Edwards' plight. 

Jack Hawkins provides his usual stalwart presence, and he's backed up by a typically commendable British supporting cast of the period, featuring the likes of Dennis Price and George Cole. (Hammer fans will recognize Michael Ripper and Duncan Lamont in small roles.) 

This was Guy Hamilton's second feature as a director. (Ironically his first one, THE RINGER, is included in Kino's BRIT NOIR COLLECTION I set.) He does well juggling all the flashbacks and the present day scenes. The golf course shown at the beginning of this movie would be used by Hamilton again for a famous sequence in GOLDFINGER. 

One would assume that THE INTRUDER is a dark, brooding tale about one man's downfall, but it winds up being an ensemble piece dealing with a group of men who served together during WWII. This film's climax in particular is much more positive than that of most American noirs made around the same time.