Director: George King
Screenplay: Katherine Strueby
Starring: Oscar Homolka, Derek Farr, Muriel Pavlow, Kenneth Griffith, Manning Whiley, Kathleen Harrison, Gerry Marsh, Jan Van Loewen, Irene Handl, Johnnie Schofield
Country: United Kingdom
Running time: 91 min
Year: 1947
BBFC Certificate: PG
Director George King will be well known to fans of classic British horror and the Indicator boutique Blu-ray label, as he made eight films with horror icon Tod Slaughter. In November 2023 Indicator released all eight films, which include five directed by King, in a lavish and wonderful boxset entitled The Criminal Acts of Tod Slaughter: Eight Blood and Thunder Entertainments 1935-1940.
Now Indicator are bringing us two more films directed by King, Tomorrow We Live and the subject of this review, The Shop at Sly Corner. Sly Corner follows French antique dealer Descius Heiss (Oscar Homolka), who runs the titular shop, selling antiques. He lives a very idyllic life with his daughter Margaret (Muriel Pavlow) who is learning to be a professional violinist. As the plot develops we discover that Heiss is a fence, whose money comes through handling stolen goods, which leads to blackmail and more.
The film, also known as Code of Scotland Yard, is an adaptation of a play by Edward Percy Smith (who was also a Conservative MP, and was known simply as Edward Percy as a playwright), first performed in 1941 under the title Play With Fire, before being staged as The Shop at Sly Corner in 1945. The play takes place entirely in one room at the back of the shop over three evenings, but the film has multiple locations and, though occasionally feeling like a filmed play, certainly expands on the stage material to feel very worthy of the big screen.
The alternate title, Code of Scotland Yard, is interesting as the police are only really in the second half. Their introduction ups the tenseness to nail-biting territory, particularly with a thrilling car chase which starts at Regent’s Park Zoo, and takes in Hammersmith Bridge before continuing into the countryside. The car chase is one of the stand out scenes in a film that has plenty of them.
The production really shines through from the sets and production design to the cinematography. The sets, particularly the one for the shop and the street it is on, are fantastic and incredibly atmospheric. The art direction was by Bernard Robinson, probably best known for his outstanding work on the Hammer films, his Gothic delights adding immensely to the atmosphere of those classic horror films. Here, the Heiss’s workshop in particular, is a real highlight – there’s so much detail to savour here and with the antiques. The cinematography by Hone Glendinning is also brilliant; for example, when we first realise villain Archie Fellows (Kenneth Griffith) is a bad egg, he is stood at the top of some stairs which lead to the basement where Heiss works. The shadow of the bars on the wall frame Fellows as a criminal, right at the moment we discover he is going to blackmail Heiss. Griffith plays the part so well that you’re rooting for him to get his comeuppance.
Griffith is just the trip of the iceberg in a quite wonderful cast. Griffith plays Archie, the blackmailer, as a particularly nasty piece of work, very slimy, creepy and menacing. He’s quite intense throughout and plays the part well, which is to be expected as he’d also portrayed the same character in the stage production. Headlining the cast is Austrian actor Homolka, who is both an apparent stand up citizen, but whose dark secret that he’s actually a fence, a secret he is determined to hide from his daughter, leads to conflict. Homolka, who appeared in over 100 films and TV shows including Alfred Hitchock’s Sabotage and an Oscar nominated role in 1948’s I Remember Mama, plays the angst and agony of Heiss being blackmailed really well, he’s truly stuck, wanting the secret of his money to be hidden from his daughter and not wanting the shame that would come with the revelation.
There’s a remarkable scene – one of the standout in the film – featuring both the characters of Heiss and Archie, in which the tides are turned in surprising and tense fashion whilst composer Franz Schubert’s Ave Maria plays on the radio. We later learn that Heiss’s daughter was playing violin in the performance of Ave Maria, which adds an added layer to the aforementioned scene. It’s a fantastic scene, mainly due to the two lead performances. Special mention to for Muriel Pavlow as Margaret, the daughter of Heiss, and Derek Farr as Robert Graham, her lover – the pair met on the set and would marry in real-life. Their love blossoms on screen and they both play their roles well.
The supporting cast is also wonderful with special mention for two cameos; a dark haired Diana Dors, in her film debut, has a small role as a lover of Archie, Katie Johnson, appears in one small scene as a music box seller – Johnson, will be well known to fans of the Ealing comedy The Ladykillers, as she plays the formidable Mrs Wilberforce.
The Shop at Sly Corner is a cracking little British postwar crime melodrama, which ratchets up the tension at times, particularly in the second half, is filled with some great scenes, is well acted, has some first class production design, and builds to a memorable and bittersweet finale.
Film: 
The Shop at Sly Corner is released on limited edition Blu-ray by Powerhouse Films on the Indicator label on 17 June 2024. The first print run comes with a limited edition booklet. The new restoration is remarkable, with the film looking amazing throughout. Blacks are deeply black and greys and whites look great too. It looks simply astonishing. The audio is fine too.
INDICATOR LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES
New restoration from a 4K scan by Powerhouse Films
Original mono audio
Audio commentary with film historian Josephine Botting and critic Phuong Le (2024)
Jonathan Rigby on Oscar Homolka (2024): the film historian delves into the life and career of the prolific Austrian actor
Muriel Pavlow in Conversation (2009): filmed interview in which the British actor discusses her career with Josephine Botting at London’s National Film Theatre
Image gallery: promotional and publicity materials
New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Limited edition exclusive booklet with a new essay by Steve Chibnall, archival interviews and articles, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and film credits
World premiere on Blu-ray
Limited edition of 4,000 copies for the UK and the US
The commentary by Josephine Botting and Phuong Le opens with some of the background to the film, its stage origins, and the atmospheric opening titles. It takes a look both at some of the scenes and the story, but also at the wonderful actors who appear. Some of the best moments are comments on Oscar Homolka, Diana Dors and Katie Johnson. Botting and Le also look at the differences to the play, the importance of the radio in the movie, and add in some behind the scenes anecdotes, including details of the actual violinist, and information about locations including those which feature in the car chase. It’s a fantastic commentary.
Botting pops up again for a wonderful interview with Muriel Pavlow following a screening of Reach for the Sky at the National Film Theatre in London in 2009. Pavlow looks back at her career on stage and screen, from her start working with big names such as John Gielgud. The piece incorporates clips from some of Pavlow’s films, which is a welcome addition. There’s a brief section on Sly Corner with some lovely memories about why it was such an important film for the actress – she met her future husband Derek Farr (who plays Robert Graham) on the production. A fine extra.
Jonathan Rigby’s interview is a fascinating 35 minute overlook of the career of Oscar Homolka, starting with his early stage plays, before moving onto his film career. It looks at a number of his roles, including a key one in Alfred Hitchcock’s Sabotage. There are some neat reflections on Homolka’s views on the revered director. There’s also some lovely analysis of why Homolka may have never played a James Bond villain, which he would have been delightful as. An excellent piece, as always from Rigby.
The image gallery contains almost 70 images, including stills, lobby cards under the Code of Silence title, a press book and posters.
The 32 page booklet is typically top class from Indicator. It opens with a new essay by Steve Chibnall, entitled A Shocker with a Heart of Gold. The essay looks at the release of the film and the relative lack of critical attention and appraisal it’s had since, before providing background to some of the cast and crew. Sly Corner looks at the play, and the changes made for the film, as well as a detailed description of the set for the stage production. From Flick to Dors is a fun piece on the start of the career of Diana Dors. It includes a section on her cameo in Sly Corner and what led to her changing her name. Rounding out the booklet is a selection of contemporary reviews of the film.
The Shop at Sly Corner is a wonderful slice of classic British cinema, a crime melodrama with noir elements, particularly through the outstanding cinematography and production design. It features a cracking car chase, a bittersweet finale and the first screen appearance for the icon Diana Dors. The film is incredibly well served on a fabulous limited edition Blu-ray on the Indicator label, with an excellent transfer from a new restoration, and some insightful on disc extras, headlined by a brilliant commentary.
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