The Frightened City - Movie Review

By Monica Sullivan

"The Frightened City" has oodles of repeat value because the plot will zoom out of your head five minutes after you see it. Herbert Lom and John Gregson star as Waldo Zhernikov & Detective Inspector Sayers and Sean Connery is billed third as Paddy Damion. His hairline is quite high here, so I suspect that IS a rug he's wearing in 1962's "Dr.No" and all the subsequent Bond films. All the pretty girls wear tight, low-cut dresses and director John Lemont never misses a chance to emphasize their best assets including their navels during one dance sequence in a nightclub. He's wise to do that because all the musical numbers here are ghastly.

We see Connery doing manly things from the start, like judo, and then we watch him take a shower and change into an undershirt, slacks and tight pullover shirt with no tie. There's plenty of American style thugs in this one with names like Tanky Thomas, Nero, Sanchetti, Salty Brewer, Lippy Green and Basher Prebble (you get the idea) and many, many fights, which are a relief after all that singing and dancing. Composer Norrie Paramour, who appears here as the Taboo Club's pianist, wrote the film's featured songs, "Marvelous Lie" and "I Laughed At Love" with lyricist Bunny Lewis. Produced by Lemant and screenwriter Leigh Vance.


© 2009 - Monica Sullivan - Air Date: 08/26/09
Movie Magazine International

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