The Dark Man (film)

Plot

The film opens with ruthless killer The Dark Man (Maxwell Reed) murdering Mostyn, a petty criminal, at a farm house in a lonely wood. He shoots the taxi driver who drove him to Mostyn’s farm house, as he would be able to identify the Dark Man. But this murder is witnessed by a passerby: Molly (Natasha Parry), a young actress. The Dark Man now seeks to kill her as well. The police are called, and Inspector Viner (Edward Underdown) is put on the case. He soon develops romantic feelings for Molly. Meanwhile, the Dark Man continues to stalk his prey, and is foiled in an attempt to strangle Molly at her home, but for how much longer can he be outwitted?

Cast

Critical reception

The New York Times wrote, "this Julian Wintle production often stirs up a fair amount of suspense and absorption, chiefly because of the efficient direction of Jeffrey Dell, an excellent performance by Edward Underdown, as a detective, and a painless round-up of typical British "types" in minor roles. But the scenario is a meandering affair overbalanced with too many sneering close-ups of its culprits, and...anything but suggestive of the banner of the distributors, Fine Arts Films, Inc."; while AllMovie noted, "the plot is nothing new, though the settings--a provincial repertory theatre, a military rifle range--are rather novel"; and Britmovie thought, "Edward Underdown is clearly too old to be the young policeman and love interest, but brooding Maxwell Reed is very effective as the shadowy ‘Dark Man’."