Pool of London

Conceived as a crime thriller set in London's now-vanished docklands around the Tower Bridge area, POOL OF London is both tautly directed (by Basil Dearden) and ably performed by an ensemble cast including Bonar Colleano (in a rare leading role), Earl Cameron, Renee Asherson and James Robertson Justice. But perhaps its chief merit lies in its documentary realism: Dearden locates the action in the bomb-damaged streets of the City of London, where even the famous landmarks such as St. Paul's Cathedral seem shabby. The interior sequences take place in a tatty variety theater (even in the early Fifties the music-hall survived, although attracting tiny audiences), smoky bars and a doubtful-looking after-hours club full of crooks and a good-time girl (Rowena Gregory). Many of the characters are 'on the make' - such as downtrodden acrobat Charlie Vernon (Max Adrian), who teams up with a shady gang of crooks including safe-cracker Alf (Alfie Bass) to initiate a diamond-robbery. In a London whose people have to survive on very little money and continuing rationing, any get-rich-quick scheme will be readily embraced. POOL OF London also communicates some of the casual racism dominating British society at that time - in spite of his upstanding nature, Johnny Lambert (Cameron) is almost inevitably considered a shady character or potential crook on account of his skin-color. Pat (Susan Shaw), an attractive young white woman who keeps him company while he is ashore, is likewise considered aberrant for choosing to be seen in public with him. The society depicted in POOL OF London is both small-minded and desperate, trying to make ends meet yet refusing to acknowledge some of the profound social changes taking place around it. Perhaps Johnny makes the right decision in choosing to return to his ship, with the intention not to return to London in the foreseeable future.

London docklands in the 1950's . Just a little before my time . I was 12 at the time of filming ,but a few years on when I was 15 I cycled around the Pool with my friends and this movie brought back memories. We also cycled around the Beacton power station and always ended up in a greasy spoon for a meat pie and a cup of builders tea. Great days for so little money.I still remember how things have changed those old buildings have gone and the docks have given way to Docklands and Canary Wharf along with the trappings of super luxury apartments and financial centers. The Thames has altered , so clean, there are so many species of fish. One thing about the film was the Thames sailing barges they have gone, Shame. The film was an excellent example of life in post war London. If you get a chance watch it. the chase through London on a Sunday morning and the old police cars smashing!!.

When the cargo ship Dunbar is moored at the Pool of London, the crew is released to have the weekend for entertainment in the city. The customs officer asks if the sailors have anything to declare before they go to London. The wolf Dan MacDonald (Bonar Colleano) and his best friend, the Jamaican Johnny Lambert (Earl Cameron), go together and Dan meets his girlfriend Maisie (Moira Lister) while Johnny befriends the ticket vendor Pat (Susan Shaw). Meanwhile Dan meets a stranger that proposes one hundred pounds for him to smuggle a small box to Rotterdam. They schedule a meeting at a church on the next morning to deliver the package to Dan. The stranger, who is a gangster, heists jewels earlier with his gang but the robbery goes wrong, they kill the guard and the police chase them. Later he delivers the box to Dan during the mass. Dan, who had problem with the costums officer before leaving the ship, asks Johnny to bring the box onboard. But when he learns that there are stolen jewels in the box and is wanted by the Scotland Yard, he lives a dilemma: shall he flee or save Johnny from the Scotland Yard. "Pool of London" is a surprisingly good unknown British film. The post-war London is impressive, with a few cars on empty streets. The screenplay and the cinematography are top-notch, with several sub-plots and characters well-developed. But the most impressive in the story is the racism with the mullato Johnny, who feels outcast in London. The moralist conclusion fits perfectly to the melodramatic plot. My vote is seven. Title (Brazil): "Encontro em Londres" ("Meeting in London")

As a movie in its own right, 'Pool Of London' is no great shakes. It's just a simple tale of botched heist and careless tongues. Curious, coming so soon after the war, when all were reminded that it cost lives. American-looking Bonar Colleano plays the sailor stooge who gets into water too deep to fathom. There are femme-fatale girlfriends not to be trusted too, and soon the cops and villains alike are on his case. There are no clever plot twists and nothing very imaginative in its technical issues of lighting or editing etc. The jewel heist looks like a feeble blueprint for the likes of later 'Topkapi' etc. Where this movie scores highest is in its delightful preservation of a post-war turn-of-the-1950's London and the lives, attitudes and morals manifest by the people of that time. Pre-eminent (I think) is the shock-horror attitude to murder; today it wouldn't raise an eyebrow. The movie is well worth watching for this reason alone. But I don't think the makers ever intended it as a time-capsule, and therefore shouldn't gain extra points for being one. Taken as a straightforward and not particularly imaginative heist movie, this is only just above average.

Pool of London – 1951 Bonar Colleano headlines this first rate noir from the U.K. Colleano is a crewman on a ship doing the London to Holland run. He supplements his wages with a bit of smuggling, cigarettes, nylons, a couple of bottles of brandy and the like. After he drops off his new batch of smokes with his contact, he is asked if he would be interested in some "real cash". All he has to do is drop off a cigarette case sized package to an address in Holland next trip. Colleano agrees to the deal and then hits the bars for a few with his girl, Moria Lister. What he does not know is that he is moving the proceeds of a diamond robbery where a night watchman had been killed. Lister, who made a career out of playing shrew like wives and the like, soon talks Colleano into looking in the package. Once Colleano sees the diamonds he realizes he is in over his head. What is he to do? He talks one of his crew-mates, Earl Cameron, into taking the package on board. Of course the whole thing starts to unravel when Lister's eavesdropping sister blabs to the police. Then Colleano's ship is held in port by police and custom's officers. The Police are waiting for Bonar to show so they can arrest him. The mob behind the robbery then grab him up for a small talk as to why his ship is crawling with John Law. Shoved into a car at the end of a gun he is "asked" to return the diamonds. He can't since he has already given them to Cameron. This leads to a less than friendly exchange where Colleano collects a bullet in the shoulder before making an escape. He heads for his ship to stop his friend Cameron from boarding the ship. Colleano knows the police will search Cameron and assume he was in on the deal. Colleano gets there just in time, collects the package from Cameron and turns himself over to the police. All he had wanted to do was make a few bucks. A much better film than I make it sound. Rest of the cast includes J.R. Justice, Susan Shaw, Leslie Phillips, Michael Golden, Johnny Longren, Victor Maddren, Ian Bannen and Alfie Bass. The film was directed by Basil Deardon. Deardon helmed several very good UK noir, CAGE OF GOLD, SAPPHIRE, NOWHERE TO GO, THE GENTLE GUNMAN. The D of P was Gordon Dines who worked on THE BLUE LAMP, THE LONG ARM, TRAIN OF EVENTS and the great ww2 film THE CRUEL SEA. Colleano was an American born actor who appeared in noir such as INTERPOL, ESCAPE BY NIGHT, GOOD TIME GIRL, WANTED FOR MURDER and JOE MACBETH. (b/w)

As a post-war British movie, this has it all in terms of story and setting. The backdrop in the stark, bomb-site ridden City of London, centred round the old docks by Tower Bridge, brings home the reality of everyday privations in a period of austerity before the gradual economic recovery during the 1950s. Good acting across the board from Bonar Colleano to Max Adrian. I liked Colleano in the Way to the Stars and he is just as convincing in this thriller, one of the better examples of the British (Ealing) crime film of the period. I can see why it is sometimes called 'noir' but I think that's more to do with the effective cinematography than the storyline, which is enhanced in interest by including a Jamaican seaman. sympathetically played by Earl Cameron. As another commentator said, it is nice to see that he has consistently acted until today. I appreciated the comments from admirers of this film who were involved in the film-making, and lived in the area where it was filmed. These kind of comments help make IMDb the informative and interesting film site it is; thank you to them. Thoroughly enjoyed this film and recommend it to anyone interested in this crucial period of British film-making.

This is a much overlooked and underrated Ealing gem. It features fine performances by Bonar Colleano and Earl Cameron as his friend and ship-mate. Cameron's performance is an important and groundbreaking one for a black actor in a British movie. The location shots of post-war London are wonderful. I thoroughly commend this movie

This is one of my favourite Ealing movies. Directed by Basil Dearden who also did The Blue Lamp it is a wonderful film that has a cocktail of long lost London, racial prejudice and romance and a diamond robbery. The stars are all excellent in their roles; Earl Cameron and Bonar Colleano were never better in their careers and the leading female roles are both played wonderfully by Moira Lister and Susan Shaw. Solid support roles from Joan Dowling, Renee Asherson, a young Leslie Phillips, James Robertson Justice and Alfie Bass as well. What I can't understand is how that such a great film as this has never (to my knowledge) appeared on video or d.v.d. An oversight that needs putting right.

Quite splendid and surprisingly good British film with marvellous and evocative location shooting, mainly in and around the Tower Bridge and the docks. Fast moving, with decent story, well acted and directed, I am amazed I have never come across this before. Living in Greenwich, I was particularly thrilled to see a sequence shot in the Maritime Museum plus a shot which included a glimpse of what looked like a derelict observatory, certainly not surrounded by tourists as it is today. Also great to see the power station billowing smoke and absolutely no docklands development beyond. Earl Cameron plays the West Indian sailor who is shown getting pretty close to the action, even if he is considered, 'Just like all the rest.' Good to see he has continued to work right up to the present. Unlike the co-lead, very popular in his day apparently, Bonar Colleano, who died in a motor accident eight years after making this. Not a 'noir' as some have suggested, but a rattling good yarn and if you are interested in a glimpse of early post-war London, trams and all, this is a must.

Stumbled across this little gem of a film on the internet, after seeing it mentioned in an article entitled "The 10 Best British Noir Films You Should Watch" on tasteofcinema.com. I am something of a noir fanatic, and Pool of London holds up with the best of the late, gritty urban films in that "genre," which often forsake the noir femme fatale formula, making males with tragic flaws their own antagonists. This film has all the elements of great drama, and Hitchcock couldn't have done it better. It even features a strikingly beautiful blond, the kind Hitch favored, in Susan Shaw. Va-va-voom! This film transcends most thrillers of the era by making one of the leads a black man, and the ramifications are expertly and sensitively woven into the story, unlike the heavy-handed examples which would follow as the upcoming civil rights era ensued. I was so impressed by the incredible photography in this film that I was compelled to look up the director of photography: Gordon Dines. I must say, John Alton has nothing on Mr. Dines! He is a master of the craft, and makes this film a must-see on that basis alone. This is a well paced, well shot, well acted thriller, and I am glad I finally stumbled across it after all these years. It's so nice to be surprised by the quality of a long lost film, just when you think you've seen all the best. They don't make them like this anymore. Now all you see are cardboard characters, 2-second shots, nauseating hand-held camera takes (even when they aren't warranted ) and CGI explosions....no thanks. Now I need to track down "The Blue Lamp", which was also shot by Gordon Dines.