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One Jump Ahead (film)
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Wikipedia article
'One Jump Ahead' is a 1955 British crime film directed by Charles Saunders and starring Paul Carpenter, Diane Hart, Jill Adams and Freddie Mills.[https://web.archive.org/web/20090114173634/http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/45049 "Film details: 'One Jump Ahead' (1955)."] 'BFI', 2016. Retrieved: 25 August 2016. The film was based on a novel by American crime novelist Robert H. Chapman.[http://www.allmovie.com/movie/one-jump-ahead-v104852/cast-crew "Charles Saunders - Cast and Crew: 'One Jump Ahead' (1955)."] 'AllMovie'. Retrieved: 25 August 2016. The screenplay concerns a journalist who helps police track down the killer of a female blackmailer.Brennan, Sandra. [http://www.allmovie.com/movie/one-jump-ahead-v104852 "Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related: 'One Jump Ahead' (1955)."] 'AllMovie'. Retrieved: 25 August 2016. The title refers to the reporter's attempts to keep "one jump ahead" of the police in solving the crime.Chibnall and McFarland 2009, p. 248.
Plot
Reporter Paul Banner, a Canadian "noozeman", works at the 'Daily Comet' in England. When a young boy witnesses a murder, the killer mistakenly tracks down the boy's friend and kills who he thinks is the only witness to the crime. Banner becomes interested in getting to the bottom of the murders but complications arise when Judy (Jill Adams), his ex-love, becomes involved.
Banner sets out to find the killer, and has the help of Maxine (Diane Hart), a reporter with whom he works at the paper; the two have also been involved in a relationship. Together, they ferret out who the mystery killer is, keeping "one jump ahead" of the police.
Cast
* Paul Carpenter as Paul Banner
* Diane Hart as Maxine
* Jill Adams as Judy
* Freddie Mills as Bert Tarrant
* Peter Sinclair as Old Tarrant
* Arnold Bell as Superintendent Faro
* David Hannaford as Brian
* Roddy Hughes as Mac
* Edward French as Jimmy Mumby
* June Ashley as Betty West
* Rose Howlett as Mrs. Mumby
* Mary Jones as Mrs. Snell
* Charles Lamb as Mr. Snell
* Arthur Gross as Arthur Walker
Production
Director Charles Saunders also made 'Behind the Headlines' (1956), the second of three crime thrillers based on the works of American novelist Robert Chapman.Goble 1999, p. 78. In 1958, he also directed 'Murder Reported'. All three films had many similarities; the stories all revolved around a news reporter investigating a murder, each lead role played by Paul Carpenter, with different supporting casts.[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048995/ "Behind the Headlines (1956)."] 'IMDb'. Retrieved: 25 August 2016. Saunders specialized in the B movie at the Kenilworth Films Production house which turned out 11 mainly crime thrillers between 1948 and 1956.Chibnall and McFarland 2009, p. 248.
Critical reception
'TV Guide' gave 'One Jump Ahead' two out of five stars and wrote, "... occasionally witty dialog enhances this B-bracket programmer."[http://www.tvguide.com/movies/one-jump-ahead/review/108225/ "Review: 'One Jump Ahead'.'] 'TVGuide.com'. Retrieved: 25 August 2016. In a recent review, 'SkyChannel TV' noted, "Not at all bad for a British co-feature of its time, with some good crackles of humour in the dialogue and a lively tempo. Ex-boxing champion Freddie Mills appears in one of several roles he played in British films of the 50s."[http://www.sky.com/tv/movie/one-jump-ahead-1955 "Review: 'One Jump Ahead'."] 'Sky.com', 2016. Retrieved: 25 August 2016.
References
Notes
Bibliography
* Chibnall, Steve and Brian McFarlane. 'The British 'B' Film'. London: Palgrave MacMillan, 2009. .
* Goble, Alan. 'The Complete Index to Literary Sources in Film'. London: Walter de Gruyter, 1999. .
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