A cheap hostage thriller from the little heard of production company, Anvil Films. I think this might have been their only foray into the thriller genre. It's a short crime story based on a novel by popular author John Creasey and it was directed by Paul Rotha, best known for his documentary shorts. Rotha doesn't seem particularly at home in the thriller genre given that this film is singularly devoid of thrills and entertainment.
For much of the running time this is a simple two-hander between a kidnapper and his victim. Pretty Ann Sears is so vacant that she doesn't even realise that she's being held captive until the film is halfway over. One of the main reasons I didn't like it was Lee Patterson's slimy lead character. Patterson had been fine in other British films of the era but I found him a truly detestable presence here and given that he's on screen for about 95% of the running time there's just no getting away from him.
CAT AND MOUSE has a bit of an episodic feel to it and there are some frequently ridiculous moments, like when Sears is knocked out by a flying pillow. The plot is so simple that it doesn't really sustain the running time even though this is a relatively short film. Victor Maddern is fine but underused as the detective on Patterson's trail. The budget is so poor that the film unforgivably cuts away from an exciting climax to merely offer the aftermath.
For much of the running time this is a simple two-hander between a kidnapper and his victim. Pretty Ann Sears is so vacant that she doesn't even realise that she's being held captive until the film is halfway over. One of the main reasons I didn't like it was Lee Patterson's slimy lead character. Patterson had been fine in other British films of the era but I found him a truly detestable presence here and given that he's on screen for about 95% of the running time there's just no getting away from him.
CAT AND MOUSE has a bit of an episodic feel to it and there are some frequently ridiculous moments, like when Sears is knocked out by a flying pillow. The plot is so simple that it doesn't really sustain the running time even though this is a relatively short film. Victor Maddern is fine but underused as the detective on Patterson's trail. The budget is so poor that the film unforgivably cuts away from an exciting climax to merely offer the aftermath.