“Bombay Waterfront” (1952)

Bombay Waterfront

Also known as: Paul Temple Returns

Brief Description:

The Temples investigate a series of murders attributed to a mysterious figure known as “The Marquis.” 

(from IMDb)

Date: 1952

Genre: Drama crime mystery

Running time: 1 hour 11 minutes

Cast: 

John Bentley (Paul)

Patricia Dainton (Steve)

Grey Blake (Storey)

Peter Gawthorne (Sir Graham)

Valentine Dyall (Bradley)

Robert Urquhart (Slater)

Christopher Lee  (Raybourne)

Dan Jackson (Sakki)

Ronald Leigh-Hunt (Ross)

Arthur Hill (Guest)

Ben Williams (Carson)

Director: Maclean Rogers

Production company: Nettlefold Films

Based on: Paul Temple by Francis Durbridge

Wikipedia page

Watch on Dailymotion

(watched on Tubi)

Setting/Aesthetic/Feel: 4/5

I really enjoyed the 1950s British setting! The tower was a GREAT addition. :) There was plenty of thrill and atmosphere, and the Egyptian addition was fun—although I don’t get Steve & Paul’s aversion to it and specifically Abdullah. Granted, he freaked me out too the first time. ;P 

Characters: 3/5

I wasn’t a fan of the characters, except for Paul. (Figures.) Steve was very one-dimensional. She wasn’t faintish and scared, but she also wasn’t worth much of anything except to discuss theories and be threatened. The film would hardly have changed if she wasn’t in it, I think. Sir Felix and Storey were both okay. I pegged the bad guy pretty early on, and the other one was just indifferently good. I would have liked to see more of Ross, to be honest! 

Plot: 4/5

A mystery with 3 possible villains is always fun. I did feel like the description of the film was a let down, with its high stakes of “serial killer” and “gruesome murders” (Tubi). 5 people were killed [not gruesomely] and the Marquis was no danger to the public, only to those specific people. But anyhow, I enjoyed the chase, and the final climatic scenes, and overall I’m interested in watching more of the Paul Temple films. I really liked his TV address. ;) 

Romance: 4/5

Steve & Paul were quite cute. :) 

Content: 4/5 (low)

Slight racism towards the Burmese and the Egyptians; English archaeology in Egypt a main spring of the film; a few instances of mild language; drinking. 

Violence: 4/5 (low)

One person is shot onscreen; another person is electrocuted onscreen; a hanged man is discovered in a closet (only the shoes shown); a shot of a dead woman in her killer’s arms (non-graphic); a woman is threatened with murder (nothing happens). 

Overall: 3.5/5

Not the best mystery film I ever saw, but not the worst either. I feel pretty neutral about it.