The Unstoppable Man 1961
Director: Terry Bishop
Writers: Terry Bishop, Alun Falconer, Michael Gilbert (from his short story "Amateur in Violence"),
Rôle: Chief Inspector Hazelrigg
Release Date: 21 June 1961
Synopsis: James Kennedy is a wealthy businessman whose son is kidnapped. Naturally, there's a huge ransom demand but Scotland Yard tells Kennedy to let them handle it.
Comment: Not a bad film but not memorable. I love the scene with Marius as Inspector Hazelrigg repairing the typewriter of Cameron Mitchell's secretary.
Review: On mysteryfile.com by Johnathan Lewis: "Sometimes criminals, despite all possible planning, still pick the wrong target. That's definitely the case in The Unstoppable Man, a taut British thriller. Directed by Terry Bishop, the movie stars Cameron Mitchell, a veteran actor best known for his work in American and Italian films as well as on American television.
Mitchell portrays James Kennedy, an American businessman in London whose business acumen seemingly is unparalleled. Kennedy is put to the test when his young son is kidnapped and held for ransom by a motley crew of thugs. Scotland Yard wants to take the lead, but Kennedy has his own plans. They include paying off the hostage takers in a greater amount than they demand, with the expectation that thieves aren’t the most honest of men and will gladly turn on each other for a few quid more.
In The Unstoppable Man, that proves to be the case.
One of the kidnapper gang ends up dead and helps lead Kennedy (and the cops) to the house where his son is being held. It’s there that the action finally, and somewhat belatedly, kicks in. Although he’s a man more used to the boardroom, Kennedy shows he can brawl as if he were in a barroom. There’s even a great scene – a pivotal one – where Kennedy utilizes a would-be flamethrower against a man involved in his son’s kidnapping.
While there’s nothing in The Unstoppable Man that’s exceptional, that doesn’t mean that it isn’t a good — make that a very good — crime film. Running at around seventy minutes, it’s economical both on plot and the viewer’s time. But what it lacks in originality, it makes up for in atmosphere and an early 1960s jazz-influenced soundtrack that works very well.
For crime fans, it’s worth watching if you get the opportunity. For Mitchell fans (and I know that some are out there), it’s a must see."
Trivia: He's wearing those knitted cream gloves again! And I think I've seen him wearing that overcoat before!
Availability: DVD (Sinister Cinema) Release Date: 20 October 2012.
