even pretend Yanks like Michael Balfour who in "13 East St" can't seem to make up his mind what side of the Atlantic his bread is buttered on. Robert Ayres was never off the TV in the early 50s,as a P.I. or a cop on loan to Scotland Yard,but this time his is an American deserter running a dodgy transport company employing ex - cons that is infiltrated by an undercover cop who has proved his credentials the hard way by doing an armed robbery and going down for it. Banged up with Mr Balfour he easily impresses his cellmate and during a convenient "ghosting" to another prison the pair escape and join Ayres's little "firm". Despite the distractions of a moll (Miss S Dorne,suitably diverting) and a not very bright ex - con who will recognise him at any minute,our hero succeeds in eventually bringing the gang to justice. This was 1951(the G.R. on the police van gives it away as pre - 1952) the year of the Festival of Britain,the RFH and the South Bank. Nobody thought of undercover copper as Agents Provocateurs misleading the vulnerable and they just got on with it. Read "Ghost Squad" by John Gosling or anything about Chief Inspector Bob Fabian to get a taste if the times. These were tough men doing tough jobs and "13 East St" is a tough film for its era when being non - judgmental was for wimps. It has echoes of the much better - known " The Blue Lamp" with its landscapes of bombsites and run - down apartment blocks. Crisply shot in black and white with the requisite cast of cockney characters,it is very much a portrait of English society still recovering from a world war and an age of real austerity when "cutting down" didn't mean getting rid of one of your cars.
9 Reviews
From the Golden Age when Yanks were all over our telly...
ianlouisiana11 December 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Taut Thriller
boblipton26 February 2018
Patrick Holt robs a jewelry store. He is quickly caught and sentenced to prison. He escapes with his cellmate and they make their way to London's docklands, where they join Robert Ayre's gang. Henchman Michael Brennan suspects him, but Ayre's girlfriend, Sandra Dorne, decides she likes Holt. It turns out Mack is right; Holt is an undercover copper, out to infiltrate and break up the gang.
It's a taut little second feature as Holt tries to do his job while Brennan slowly finds grounds for his suspicions, with some nice interludes with Sonia Holm (Holt's real wife at the time) and Dora Bryan as a gossipy neighbor. It's got some beautiful photography, shot by producer-cinematographer Monty Berman. He and co-producer Robert Baker would later strike gold with the TV series THE SAINT.
It's a taut little second feature as Holt tries to do his job while Brennan slowly finds grounds for his suspicions, with some nice interludes with Sonia Holm (Holt's real wife at the time) and Dora Bryan as a gossipy neighbor. It's got some beautiful photography, shot by producer-cinematographer Monty Berman. He and co-producer Robert Baker would later strike gold with the TV series THE SAINT.
A solid cast goes through the motions
Leofwine_draca10 August 2016
13 EAST STREET is a low budget British crime film made by the popular team of Monty Berman and Robert Baker, and directed by Baker himself in this instance. The script was written by the prolific John Gilling, who rarely seems to have taken the time to sit down during his busy career in film. The fast-paced story has many twists and turns throughout, a fair few of which are quite obvious, but there are so many ingredients in the plot that it's never slow or boring. The imposing Patrick Holt plays a failed burglar who concocts a daring prison break with a fellow convict. The two manage to escape and soon join up with a criminal gang who are planning their next big break-in. However, some characters have mysterious motivations, and as always, women seem to get in the way.
This is a short and serviceable thriller that sees a solid cast going through the motions. Holt is always fine as hero or villain and does well here. The thoroughly likable Michael Balfour is great value as the fellow con and the scene of them escaping from the prison wagon is one of the best in the movie. Sandra Dorne is an appealing femme fatale in the genteel British tradition while Dora Bryan is fun as the nosy neighbour. Robert Ayres's chief bad guy could do with being a bit more nasty, but Michael Brennan is fine as a real thuggish fellow. 13 EAST STREET is hardly electrifying viewing but I enjoyed it enough nonetheless.
This is a short and serviceable thriller that sees a solid cast going through the motions. Holt is always fine as hero or villain and does well here. The thoroughly likable Michael Balfour is great value as the fellow con and the scene of them escaping from the prison wagon is one of the best in the movie. Sandra Dorne is an appealing femme fatale in the genteel British tradition while Dora Bryan is fun as the nosy neighbour. Robert Ayres's chief bad guy could do with being a bit more nasty, but Michael Brennan is fine as a real thuggish fellow. 13 EAST STREET is hardly electrifying viewing but I enjoyed it enough nonetheless.
Decent police thriller from the UK
gordonl5612 April 2008
Warning: Spoilers
A man steps into a London jewelry store and pulls a gun. He throws a small bag at the clerk and instructs him fill it. The clerk complies and hands back the sack. The man, Patrick Holt, starts for the door just as several coppers put in an appearance.
Holt bolts out the back door with the police in hot pursuit. After a brisk chase, Holt is tackled and cuffed. He is hauled off to jail and a date with the judge. The judge gives him three years for the bungled robbery.
Waiting for the bus to prison he meets prisoner, Michael Balfour. Balfour is a member of a high-end warehouse robbery gang up for two years. The two talk as they are transported to the big house.
Several weeks later they are informed of a transfer to another prison. They are cuffed to a pair of guards and loaded on a train. Balfour fakes sickness and the one guard leaves for help. Holt gets the upper hand on his man and knocks him out. Off come the cuffs and a leap from the train starts their escape.
Holt and Balfour steal a car and head off to London. They stop at a small roadside café for coffee and a sandwich. Balfour likes how Holt handled himself and wants him to join the crew he works with. The gang only pulls big scores that earn top money. Robert Ayres, an American Army deserter, is the man in charge.
The pair leaves the café and head for Ayres place. As they go, Holt drops an empty cigarette pack. Another customer grabs the pack and pockets it. The man, Alan Judd, grabs a car to Scotland Yard. He hands the pack to Police Detective Hector Macgregor. We discover that Holt is really a Scotland Yard man sent undercover to get the goods on Ayres. The jewel robbery etc had all been a set up to get Holt noticed. Balfour introduces Holt to Ayres and vouches for him. He tells Ayres how Holt worked over the prison guard during their escape. One of the gang, Michael Brennan, does not like Holt and starts a fight. Holt levels him with a few lefts ending the discussion. Ayres likes his style and takes him into the gang. He gives the two a room to hide out for a few days till the police chase cools.
Enter Ayres' bit of fluff, Sandra Dorne. The blonde bimbo likes to spread it around and she takes an instant liking to Holt. Balfour tells Holt that she is bad news.
Several days later Ayres sends Holt and Brennan out on a van hi-jacking. The van is full of nylons, worth a fortune in post-war UK. The job goes smooth and by the numbers. The pair deliver the van to one of Ayres fences and head back to the hideout.
Holt hits the local coffee shop to grab cigarettes and passes the fence's address to his waiting contact, Judd. Judd takes the info to the Yard and a raid is launched on the fence's place. The goods and the fence are quickly gobbled up. Brennan blames Holt but Ayres figures Brennan is still upset at the beating Holt gave him. Ayres writes off the lost goods as one of those things. Ayres tells the crew that a real "big' job is coming off in a half hour.
Holt slips out to tell his contact about the job. Brennan, who is really upset with Holt, follows. He spots the hand off and tails Judd. He pulls Judd off the street, sticks a gun in his face and drags Judd into a bombed out ruin. He searches him, finds the note and realizes Holt is really a Cop. Judd tries to escape and is shot by Brennan. Brennan smiles and heads back to the hideout to tell Ayres about Holt.
A further complication for Holt now pops up. Dorne corners him and suggests he double-cross Ayres. The two can live the high life together on the score. Holt is not sure what to make of the offer but agrees in order to keep Dorne quiet. It is now time to find out what the score is.
The job is a fur coat warehouse. There is an inside man who will let them in at closing. They just need to take care of the watchman and then they have the whole night to load the swag. "Time to go!" Shouts Ayres. "Where is Brennan?" Ayres decides they cannot wait for him and the crew takes off.
Brennan gets to Ayres place where Dorne tells him the location of the job. Brennan grabs Dorne's motor and speeds off to catch Ayres.
The warehouse job is going like clockwork and the crew is swiftly loading a large truck with furs. Brennan shows and takes Ayres aside and fills him in on Holt. Ayres tells Brennan to wait till the job is finished then take Holt into the back and deep six him.
While this is going on, Judd's body has been found and the Yard called. They pile into their cars and raid Ayres office and pinch Dorne. The Police lean on Dorne who quickly folds after Macgregor says, "It is a murder case so talk! Where is the robbery?" Back into the cars they go and race to the site.
The truck loaded, Brennan sticks a gun in Holt's back and points into the warehouse. Holt gives him a shove and takes off. Brennan gives chase firing off several shots. Ayres joins the pursuit as Holt leads them onto the roof. Ayres plugs Brennan in error, but also manages to wing Holt just before the Police put in a last minute showing. The gang is rounded up and Holt gets a ""job well done" before a trip to the hospital. (b/w)
Holt bolts out the back door with the police in hot pursuit. After a brisk chase, Holt is tackled and cuffed. He is hauled off to jail and a date with the judge. The judge gives him three years for the bungled robbery.
Waiting for the bus to prison he meets prisoner, Michael Balfour. Balfour is a member of a high-end warehouse robbery gang up for two years. The two talk as they are transported to the big house.
Several weeks later they are informed of a transfer to another prison. They are cuffed to a pair of guards and loaded on a train. Balfour fakes sickness and the one guard leaves for help. Holt gets the upper hand on his man and knocks him out. Off come the cuffs and a leap from the train starts their escape.
Holt and Balfour steal a car and head off to London. They stop at a small roadside café for coffee and a sandwich. Balfour likes how Holt handled himself and wants him to join the crew he works with. The gang only pulls big scores that earn top money. Robert Ayres, an American Army deserter, is the man in charge.
The pair leaves the café and head for Ayres place. As they go, Holt drops an empty cigarette pack. Another customer grabs the pack and pockets it. The man, Alan Judd, grabs a car to Scotland Yard. He hands the pack to Police Detective Hector Macgregor. We discover that Holt is really a Scotland Yard man sent undercover to get the goods on Ayres. The jewel robbery etc had all been a set up to get Holt noticed. Balfour introduces Holt to Ayres and vouches for him. He tells Ayres how Holt worked over the prison guard during their escape. One of the gang, Michael Brennan, does not like Holt and starts a fight. Holt levels him with a few lefts ending the discussion. Ayres likes his style and takes him into the gang. He gives the two a room to hide out for a few days till the police chase cools.
Enter Ayres' bit of fluff, Sandra Dorne. The blonde bimbo likes to spread it around and she takes an instant liking to Holt. Balfour tells Holt that she is bad news.
Several days later Ayres sends Holt and Brennan out on a van hi-jacking. The van is full of nylons, worth a fortune in post-war UK. The job goes smooth and by the numbers. The pair deliver the van to one of Ayres fences and head back to the hideout.
Holt hits the local coffee shop to grab cigarettes and passes the fence's address to his waiting contact, Judd. Judd takes the info to the Yard and a raid is launched on the fence's place. The goods and the fence are quickly gobbled up. Brennan blames Holt but Ayres figures Brennan is still upset at the beating Holt gave him. Ayres writes off the lost goods as one of those things. Ayres tells the crew that a real "big' job is coming off in a half hour.
Holt slips out to tell his contact about the job. Brennan, who is really upset with Holt, follows. He spots the hand off and tails Judd. He pulls Judd off the street, sticks a gun in his face and drags Judd into a bombed out ruin. He searches him, finds the note and realizes Holt is really a Cop. Judd tries to escape and is shot by Brennan. Brennan smiles and heads back to the hideout to tell Ayres about Holt.
A further complication for Holt now pops up. Dorne corners him and suggests he double-cross Ayres. The two can live the high life together on the score. Holt is not sure what to make of the offer but agrees in order to keep Dorne quiet. It is now time to find out what the score is.
The job is a fur coat warehouse. There is an inside man who will let them in at closing. They just need to take care of the watchman and then they have the whole night to load the swag. "Time to go!" Shouts Ayres. "Where is Brennan?" Ayres decides they cannot wait for him and the crew takes off.
Brennan gets to Ayres place where Dorne tells him the location of the job. Brennan grabs Dorne's motor and speeds off to catch Ayres.
The warehouse job is going like clockwork and the crew is swiftly loading a large truck with furs. Brennan shows and takes Ayres aside and fills him in on Holt. Ayres tells Brennan to wait till the job is finished then take Holt into the back and deep six him.
While this is going on, Judd's body has been found and the Yard called. They pile into their cars and raid Ayres office and pinch Dorne. The Police lean on Dorne who quickly folds after Macgregor says, "It is a murder case so talk! Where is the robbery?" Back into the cars they go and race to the site.
The truck loaded, Brennan sticks a gun in Holt's back and points into the warehouse. Holt gives him a shove and takes off. Brennan gives chase firing off several shots. Ayres joins the pursuit as Holt leads them onto the roof. Ayres plugs Brennan in error, but also manages to wing Holt just before the Police put in a last minute showing. The gang is rounded up and Holt gets a ""job well done" before a trip to the hospital. (b/w)
Solid, efficient and unpretentious.
jamesraeburn200312 March 2018
Warning: Spoilers
An undercover policeman, Inspector Gerald Blake (Patrick Holt), robs a jewelry store, gets caught and sent to prison before escaping to enable him to infiltrate a criminal gang lead by Larry Conn (Robert Ayles). He successfully secures Larry's trust by pulling off a raid on a warehouse in which a valuable consignment of nylons are stolen. As a result, Larry trusts Blake to accompany him on what will be his last and biggest job yet. A ship is arriving from America containing £50,000 worth of furs and the job is to steal them from the warehouse on the docklands. However, one of Larry's gang, Mac (Mike Brennan), doesn't like Blake and is sure he is an undercover cop. But, Mac isn't as in favour with his boss as Blake is and decides to prove himself right in order to curry favour with the big man. Meanwhile, Larry's girlfriend, Judy (Sandra Dorne), sees Blake as an opportunity to get away from him and offers to help him pull a double cross and take the loot for themselves. Little does she realise that he is a policeman and that is not the sort of double cross he has in mind...
Solid, efficient and unpretentious crime drama from Bob Baker and Monty Berman's Tempean Productions who made some of the best British 'B' pictures of the 50's. This doesn't really measure up with their best work since the script by John Gilling is a pretty standard crime story. Yet, there is still some fun to be had here with Patrick Holt surprisingly effective as the tough, hard boiled and daring undercover man and his real life wife Sandra Dorne is striking as the streetwise and easy going girlfriend of Robert Ayles. This part is a decided contrast to the role she played as the femme fatale in Wolf Rilla's excellent noir b-pic Marilyn (1952) and displayed her range and diversity as an excellent 'B' film leading lady.
Efficiently directed by Bob Baker who succeeds in constructing some smooth suspense out of the scenes between Holt and Brennan as the latter follows him everywhere he goes making it harder for him to pass information on to his contact man without giving them both away. Look out for Dora Bryan here in an amusing small part as a nosy neighbour who inadvertently gives him away out in a busy London street when she is out shopping with his on screen wife Joan (Sonia Holm).
Solid, efficient and unpretentious crime drama from Bob Baker and Monty Berman's Tempean Productions who made some of the best British 'B' pictures of the 50's. This doesn't really measure up with their best work since the script by John Gilling is a pretty standard crime story. Yet, there is still some fun to be had here with Patrick Holt surprisingly effective as the tough, hard boiled and daring undercover man and his real life wife Sandra Dorne is striking as the streetwise and easy going girlfriend of Robert Ayles. This part is a decided contrast to the role she played as the femme fatale in Wolf Rilla's excellent noir b-pic Marilyn (1952) and displayed her range and diversity as an excellent 'B' film leading lady.
Efficiently directed by Bob Baker who succeeds in constructing some smooth suspense out of the scenes between Holt and Brennan as the latter follows him everywhere he goes making it harder for him to pass information on to his contact man without giving them both away. Look out for Dora Bryan here in an amusing small part as a nosy neighbour who inadvertently gives him away out in a busy London street when she is out shopping with his on screen wife Joan (Sonia Holm).
"A Copper? I Thought You Were Respectable!"
richardchatten10 September 2019
An early Berman & Baker production before they went into TV enhanced as usual by Baker's excellent photography and by vivid use throughout of London locations.
(SEMI-SPOILER COMING: Most of the reviews of this film - and even the IMDb's own synopsis & cast list - reveal the central plot development, which is itself revealed in the film itself after only twenty minutes and recently used in 'White Heat'.)
(SEMI-SPOILER COMING: Most of the reviews of this film - and even the IMDb's own synopsis & cast list - reveal the central plot development, which is itself revealed in the film itself after only twenty minutes and recently used in 'White Heat'.)
Plot has whiskers on it
malcolmgsw30 December 2015
This is that old chestnut of the police officer supposedly committing a crime so that he can be sent to prison in order to associate with the right kind of person.Mind you it is stretching things a bit that he would go into a jewelers waiving a gun about.Nowadays they are regarded as agents provocateurs and end up getting sued.I agree with the previous reviewer about the sights of London in 1951'I actually remember and there were lots of bomb sites all over the place particularly in the East End.Prudential worked in a partly bombed building.There are just so many actors and situations.However Dora Bryan stands out as a nosy neighborly.
"There's only one thing wrong with that guy. He's breathing."
hwg1957-102-2657041 December 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Gerald Blake gets arrested for a jewel robbery and gets put in prison. There he befriends an inmate, Joey Long, and together they make an escape as they are being escorted on a train to another prison. Blake goes with Long to the latter's old boss who is a criminal specialising in robberies. What they don't know is that Blake is an undercover policeman. So it is the usual plot of a mole in a gang of villains but it is well done with moments of suspense enhanced by good location photography and an able cast.
Patrick Holt is suitably low key as Blake. Even better is Michael Balfour as Joey Long who may be a career criminal but he's also a good guy. At the end when he learns that Blake has betrayed the gang he is more rueful than angry. The nastiest character is George Mack (played menacingly by Michael Brennan) and his demise is nicely ironic. Familiar Harry Towb has a small role and Dora Bryan makes the most of her short scenes as Valerie.
Another good production from Tempean Films, the company helmed by director Robert S. Baker and cinematographer Monty Berman.
Patrick Holt is suitably low key as Blake. Even better is Michael Balfour as Joey Long who may be a career criminal but he's also a good guy. At the end when he learns that Blake has betrayed the gang he is more rueful than angry. The nastiest character is George Mack (played menacingly by Michael Brennan) and his demise is nicely ironic. Familiar Harry Towb has a small role and Dora Bryan makes the most of her short scenes as Valerie.
Another good production from Tempean Films, the company helmed by director Robert S. Baker and cinematographer Monty Berman.
13 East Street
Prismark107 August 2020
13 East Street is a serviceable B thriller. A quickie quota with an American guest star.
It starts off with a man robbing a jewellery store and being chased by the police. He is caught, sentenced and escapes when he is being transported to prison with another convict called Joey.
Joey introduces the man to his boss Larry and is accepted as a gang member. They gang are involved in various robberies. The man is Inspector Blake an undercover policeman whose job is to infiltrate this gang and pass information about their activities to another undercover policeman who is always hanging around nearby.
However one person in the gang has suspicions about Blake as he thinks he has seen him before. The story is rather clumsy in its execution. There is a scene where Blake's wife and their neighbour nearly bump into him.
Out of all the actors it is Dora Bryan that stands out the most.
It starts off with a man robbing a jewellery store and being chased by the police. He is caught, sentenced and escapes when he is being transported to prison with another convict called Joey.
Joey introduces the man to his boss Larry and is accepted as a gang member. They gang are involved in various robberies. The man is Inspector Blake an undercover policeman whose job is to infiltrate this gang and pass information about their activities to another undercover policeman who is always hanging around nearby.
However one person in the gang has suspicions about Blake as he thinks he has seen him before. The story is rather clumsy in its execution. There is a scene where Blake's wife and their neighbour nearly bump into him.
Out of all the actors it is Dora Bryan that stands out the most.
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