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Highly Dangerous is a 1950 British spy film starring Margaret Lockwood. The screenplay was written by Eric Ambler.

Highly Dangerous
Directed by	Roy Ward Baker (as Roy Baker)
Written by	Eric Ambler
Produced by	Antony Darnborough executive Earl St. John
Starring	Margaret Lockwood Dane Clark Marius Goring Naunton Wayne
Cinematography	Reginald H. Wyer
Edited by	Alfred Roome
Music by	Richard Addinsell
Production company	Two Cities Films
Distributed by	General Film Distributors (UK) Lippert Pictures (US)
Release dates	6 December 1950 (1950-12-06) (London) 12 October 1951 (1951-10-12) (US)
Running time	88-90 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

It was released in the US by Lippert Pictures as Time Running Out.

Plot

Frances Gray is as a British entomologist trying to stop a biological attack with the help of an American journalist.[1]

Cast

Production

Margaret Lockwood had not made a film in 18 months following Madness of the Heart, and had been focusing on stage work.[2] Earl St John wanted a comeback vehicle and commissioned Eric Ambler to write a film specifically as a vehicle for Lockwood. Ambler had recently specialised in melodramas, but Highly Dangerous was a comedy thriller in the vein of Lockwood's earlier hits, The Lady Vanishes and Night Train to Munich.[3] It was directed by Roy Ward Baker, who had served with Ambler during the war.[4]

"One thing about Eric is that he presents you with a script that is beautifully finished in every detail", said Baker.[5]

"I think Margaret Lockwood wanted to play a modern woman", recalled Baker. "It was actually Eric Ambler's first or second book, although the book had a different title and its main character was a man; Eric changed it to a woman to make it more interesting."[6]

The film-makers wanted a Hollywood leading man to play opposite Lockwood. Wendell Corey was originally sought[7] before the role was given to Dane Clark, who had recently left Warner Bros.

Filming started at Pinewood Studios in June 1950.[8]

Reception

Baker later said that "Highly Dangerous wasn't a very successful picture.... It was a good idea although I don't think I did it very well."[9]

Filmink said "it should have been Lady Vanishes-like but the film never gets its tone right. It starts off straight then goes a bit wacky and is just not fun – it lacks comic relief, and Lockwood seems old and tired."[10]

References

• McFarlane, Brian, An Autobiography of British Cinema, 1997

External links

• Highly Dangerous at IMDb
• Highly Dangerous at TCMDB
• Highly Dangerous at Britmovie
• Highly Dangerous at AllMovie
• Film4 review
• Review of film at Variety

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