''The Last Page'', released in the United States as ''Man Bait'', is a 1952 British

film noir Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American ' ...

produced by

Hammer Film Productions Hammer Film Productions Ltd. is a British film production company based in London. Founded in 1934, the company is best known for a series of Gothic horror and fantasy films made from the mid-1950s until the 1970s. Many of these involve clas ...

starring

George Brent George Brent (born George Brendan Nolan; 15 March 1904 – 26 May 1979) was an Irish-American stage, film, and television actor. He is best remembered for the eleven films he made with Bette Davis, which included '' Jezebel'' and '' Dark Victo ...

Marguerite Chapman Marguerite Chapman (March 9, 1918 – August 31, 1999) was an American film and television actress. Biography Born in Chatham, New York, Chapman was working as a telephone switchboard operator in White Plains, New York when her good looks br ...

and

Diana Dors Diana Dors (born Diana Mary Fluck; 23 October 19314 May 1984) was an English actress and singer. Dors came to public notice as a blonde bombshell, much in the style of Americans Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield and Mamie Van Doren. Dors was p ...

. The film is notable for being the first Hammer film directed by

Terence Fisher Terence Fisher (23 February 1904 – 18 June 1980) was a British film director best known for his work for Hammer Films. He was the first to bring gothic horror alive in full colour, and the sexual overtones and explicit horror in his films, ...

, who later played a critical role in the creation of the company's immensely successful

horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, apoca ...

cycle. ''The Last Page'' is also notable for being the first film made under a four-year production and distribution contract between Hammer and the US

film distribution Film distribution (also known as Film exhibition or Film distribution and exhibition) is the process of making a movie available for viewing by an audience. This is normally the task of a professional film distributor, who would determine the marke ...

company

Lippert Pictures Lippert Pictures was an American film production and distribution company controlled by Robert L. Lippert. History Robert L. Lippert (1909-1976) was a successful exhibitor, owning a chain of movie theaters in California and Oregon. He was frustrate ...

. As in all of these films, the leading role was played by a well-known Hollywood actor supplied by Lippert to ensure familiarity with American audiences.

Plot

Ruby Bruce (Dors), an attractive young bookstore clerk, catches small-time crook Jeff Hart (Reynolds) trying to steal a rare book. Instead of turning him in, she accepts a date with him. Later, the bookstore manager John Harman (Brent) reprimands Ruby for being late to work. When Harman later tries to kiss Ruby, she tells Hart, who persuades Ruby to blackmail Harman. When he refuses to pay, Jeff tells Ruby to write a letter to Harman's sick wife, which causes her death from a heart attack. Dazed by the tragedy, Harman gives Ruby £300 when she renews her demands. Jeff catches Ruby hiding part of the money, kills her and hides her body in a packing case. Harman discovers Ruby's body and, thinking he will be accused, flees in panic. He enlists the help of his secretary Stella (Chapman) who helps him hunt for clues to the killer. When Stella stumbles on Hart alone, she is nearly killed by him, but Harman arrives in time to save her. The police arrest Hart.

Cast

as John Harman *

as Stella Tracy *

as Ruby Bruce * Meredith Edwards as Inspector Dale *

Harry Fowler Henry James Fowler, MBE (10 December 1926 – 4 January 2012) was an English character actor in film and television. Over a career lasting more than six decades, he made nearly 200 appearances on screen. Personal life Fowler was born in Lambe ...

as Joe, clerk *

Raymond Huntley Horace Raymond Huntley (23 April 1904 – 15 June 1990) was an English actor who appeared in dozens of British films from the 1930s to the 1970s. He also appeared in the ITV period drama '' Upstairs, Downstairs'' as the pragmatic family so ...

as Clive Oliver * Peter Reynolds as Jeffrey (Jeff) Hart *

Eleanor Summerfield Eleanor Audrey Summerfield (7 March 1921 – 13 July 2001) was an English actress who appeared in many plays, films and television series. She is known for her roles in ''Laughter in Paradise'' (1951), ''Final Appointment'' (1954), ''Odongo'' (1 ...

as Vi *

Nelly Arno Nelly Aronowsky (15 July 1892 – September 1966), known professionally as Nelly Arno, was a German-born British theatre, film and radio actress. Aronowsky was born in Karlsruhe to Abraham Aronowsky and Fanny (''née'' Maysel). She had a you ...

as Miss Rossetti

Production

The film was based on a play by James Hadley Chase which premiered in London in 1946. In March 1949 it was announced producer John Corfield had the rights. Under British law at the time, there was a quota for British films - many American movies had a British film play as a double feature. Robert Lippert distributed his films in Britain via Exclusive, the parent company of Hammer Films. He signed a deal with Hammer to make movies for the British market; they would be shot in Britain using British talent but an American star. ''The Last Page'' was the first movie. The star was George Brent who had just made ''FBI Girl'' for Lippert. The film was also known as ''Murder in Safety'' and ''Blonde Blackmail''. Chase's play was adapted into a script by Frederick Knott, who had just written ''Dial M for Murder''. The opening credits read "Introducing Diana Dors," although she had made her debut in ''The Shop at Sly Corner'' (1946) and been in a number of other films. Brent left for England on July 2, 1951. Filming started July 9, 1951. It was the first of seven crime movies Terence Fisher would direct for Hammer.

Reception

''Filmink'' said "the best thing about it is Dors’ performance: lonely, put-about, hungry for love, insecure. The movie is never as good once her character disappears, but is still definitely worth seeking out if you like your low-budget British noirs."

References

External links

* *
Man Bait
at

TCMDB Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is an American movie-oriented pay-TV network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in 1994, Turner Classic Movies is headquartered at Turner's Techwood broadcasting campus in the Midtown business district of Atl ...

The Last Page
(as "Man Bait") at BFI
The Last Page
at Letterbox DVD
Review of film
at Variety

at Cinema Retro {{DEFAULTSORT:Last Page, The 1952 films 1952 crime drama films British crime drama films British black-and-white films Film noir Films based on works by James Hadley Chase British films based on plays Films directed by Terence Fisher Hammer Film Productions films Lippert Pictures films Films set in London 1950s English-language films 1950s British films