VanJohnsonplaysablindAmericanwriterwhoisrentinganapartmentonBakerStreetwhileinLondonfortheopeningofhisnewplay.Afterarowwithhisformerfiancée(VeraMiles),hedecampstothelocalpubtodrownhisself-pitywithadrink.There,hisacutehearingpicksuphushedsnatchesofconversationfromthenextbooth.Convincedthatakidnapplotisintheoffing,herushestothepolice,whoarepolitebutrefusetobelievehim.However,JohnsonknowswhatheheardistrueandengagesthehelpofVeraandCecilParker,hissecretary,tofindthekidnappersandsavetheunknownvictim.Thisterrificsuspensefilmtakesinterestingchanceswiththegenre.Johnson’scharacterisastudyinfrustration,aportraitofamaninvestigatingsomethingheknowsexistsbutcannotsee.Thedirectionbuildstensionwellandissupportedbyafinemusicalbackgroundwhichheightensthemood.23PacestoBakerStreetwasoneofseveral20thCentury-FoxfilmsshotonlocationinLondontotakeadvantageofFox’s"frozenfunds"--moneyearnedbythestudioinEnglandwhichbylawcouldonlybespentinthatcountry.
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