User Reviews

It is curious when one recalls a mood in a movie, and one or two moments that seem to raise it above the average. Such was the case of THE RINGER which I saw over 20 years ago on Channel 9 in New York. One summer, for the entire month of August, Channel 9 just ran British films. Many were very effective crime dramas or mysteries, like John Mills' MR. DENNING DRIVES NORTH (which I reviewed some time ago). This one, from the little I recall seeing, was intriguing and probably well worth watching.

Herbert Lom is up to his usual "low" activities: He is a solicitor who has made a pot of money, at the expense of his clients. So he has many, many enemies out there. One of them has started sending him small threatening notes, and the police are called in to protect him. Problem is, he is such a despicable type even the police are not that happy about helping him.

Among the police who are keeping an eye on him is a police psychiatrist named Dr. Lomond, played by Donald Wolfit. And here was one of the two delights of the film (the other being watching Mr. Lom go through his normal low paces). Donald Wolfit was one of the great stage actors of the 1910 - 1950 period in England, but he has been forgotten today. Although he was admired for many of his Shakespearean performances, he was of the old theatrical manager tradition like Sir Henry Irving or Sir Johnston Forbes-Robertson. This tradition was being replaced by a more natural acting style practiced by Olivier, Guilgud, Redgrave, Guiness, Richardson, Ashcroft, Evans, and Thorndyke. Not that the latter could not blunder or bluster on occasion, but they distinctly toned down the histrionics. Wolfit did the reverse - so that when watching his filmed performances today one has to admit he can be very, very florid at times (such as in his 1954 SVENGALI). But when he made an effort to control his proclivities for chewing scenery he was very, very good. His Dr. Lomond is one of those attempts. The psychologist keeps restoring a degree of calm and rationality to the proceedings of the police and Lom regarding the unknown threat to the latter. So that the audience welcomes his comments and behavior - although as the film progresses an issue arises: just who is Dr. Lomond anyway? You see, it becomes known to Mai Zetterling (Lom's girlfriend) that Lomond's police credentials seem to be flawed. Who exactly is he?

It becomes a game of "cat and mouse" between the arrogant, but suspicious Lom, and the quiet and patient Wolfit. I can only add that when the moment comes for the final confrontation it really is a memorable shocker. It was a clever film, and I wish my memories were sharper about it. But I am aware...from what little I recall of it, the film was certainly deserving a rating of "6" - and probably should get one higher.

THE RINGER is a rather cheap and cheerful 1952 adaptation of one of the most popular Edgar Wallace novels out there. The setting is the typical country mansion, where the urbane but slightly sinister Herbert Lom finds himself under police protection after being targeted by the titular criminal, recently returned to the country from Australia. It plays out as a real whodunit, enlivened somewhat by William Hartnell's amusing working class humour which is a treat from this against-type character actor. Elsewhere, Donald Wolfit gives an unrecognisable turn as an eccentric doctor, and there are dependable performances from the likes of Mai Zetterling and Denholm Elliott to boot.

Ever watch a mystery movie and spot the murderer right away? Well, if you watch "The Ringer" you should spot the murderer, oh, about half a minute after the opening credits. It promises to be a better-than-average mystery with Herbert Lom leading the cast, but almost immediately Donald Wolfit dominates the picture as a forensic expert from out of town - namely, somewhere in Scotland. Every scene he is in fixes on him sooner or later, and it soon becomes very obvious ...

The movie is static and takes place mostly in Lom's office. He is an enemy of 'The Ringer', a notorious criminal, and it is discovered that The Ringer is in the vicinity to settle a score with lawyer Lom. Then the picture slogs along to its inevitable conclusion. You will have it figured out way ahead of time, but, of course, Scotland Yard does not.

The saving grace with the print I saw (Columbus,O. Cinevent) was that it had 2 endings, one for British audiences and one for us in America, and they were run one after the other at the end. I thought that was a novel twist but it could not save a movie that was both tedious and predictable.

Films with Herbert Lom are all dreadful. I bailed out halfway through. I was expecting a decent mystery and instead we get amusing "antics". There is a touch of wit in the script:

"You don't look happy, Bliss."

"Know Mr Meister? Yeah, we went to different schools together!"

William Hartnell mugs frantically as the ex-con hired as a security expert, and Dora Bryan turns up as his wife. But they are given not much to do apart from over-act. Herbert Lom has his eye on his secretary, Mai Zetterling, who is in the UK illegally. This is nauseating rather than funny.

Greta Gynt turns up as the Ringer's wife, using her sneering "bad girl" voice. When she sounds like a lady, is she dubbed? Or vice versa? I love Greta, but even she couldn't make me stay as it all got sillier and sillier.

Donald Wolfit as a shabby scottish pathologist was unbearable, and his perving over Greta repulsive.

The problem with this film is that the performance of Donald Wolfitt points to him as the obvious suspect that it totally destroys any element of suspense.The ending is so ridiculous that it leaves you feeling cheated.William Hartnell is entertaining as the ex con.Herbert Lom plays a crooked solicitor who seems to be playing in a different film from Wolfitt.

"Goldfinger" director Guy Hamilton made his director debut with this dandy, little, black & white, British Lion mystery-thriller about a notorious vigilante known as "The Ringer." Herbert Lom, William Hartnell, Donald Wolfit, and Denholm Elliot stand out in a competent cast. Loosely based on Edgar Wallace's stage play, Hamilton and scenarist Leslie Storm and Val Valentine have departed from certain plot points, but they maintain the same characters. The Ringer is an indestructible individual who has eluded the authorities and has apparently returned from the dead. The news claims that the infamous Ringer has died in Australia, but Scotland Yard suspects that the Ringer may not kaput. The Ringer is reportedly a mastermind of disguises, and he proves it beyond a shadow of a doubt in this nimble, witty epic. Slickly helmed by Hamilton, "The Ringer" benefits not only from a strong cast but also solid production values. Hartnell steals the show as a Cockney ex-con who suspicious British solicitor Maurice Meister (Herbert Lom of "The Pink Panther')hires to fortify his palatial residence from The Ringer. The dialogue is good, and the death of Lom character is admirably staged. Meister, it should be noted, died under different circumstances in the novel. Hamilton stages the Ringer's escape with verve. After he sheds his disguise in the nick of time with the clock ticking, this criminal manages to slip out of the attorney's house, past the police, and climbs into an automobile and cruises away. Typically, criminals were always punished in the 1950s but since we haven't seen this dastard actually murder anyway, I suppose the filmmakers felt safe in letting the villain escape. Again, the way that the villain dispatches the evil attorney is neat as a pin! Not only does the eponymous character slip past the police, he deals with the chief investigator on the case-- Inspector Wembury--but also he follows the man's orders. Something else of interest is the number of capable, behind-the-scenes, technicians who received credit from their contribution. First, Bert Bates is the editor; he later worked with Hamilton on the James Bond movies "Diamonds Are Forever," "Live and Let Die,and "The Battle of Britain. "The Dirty Dozen" director of photography Edward Scaife lensed the action with considerable polish. Future "Exorcist" photographer Gerry Fisher worked as the camera assistant, while future "Tarzan the Magnificent" director Robert Day served as the camera operator.