THE SHOP AT SLY CORNER
UK, 1947, 91 minutes, Black-and-white.
Oskar Homolka, Muriel Pavlow, Derek Farr, Manning Whiley, Kathleen Harrison, Kenneth Griffith, Irene Handl, Johnny Schofield.
Directed by George King.
The Shop at Sly Corner was based on a play by Edward Percy. The IMDb also has a reference to an alternate version with an alternate cast except for Kenneth Griffith as the shop assistant, the role he plays in this version – and, in the IMDb, the poster for this latter version is the one featuring Oskar Homolka.
The film has the atmosphere of post-war Britain, the shops on the high street, the highlighting of Sly Corner and the sinister overtones. Oskar Homolka plays the shop proprietor, with antiques, with a high range of clients – and later revealed as having associates who steal his material. He also has a background from Continental Europe, crime in his younger days, time on Devil’s Island.
Apart from the shop, his main devotion is to his daughter, Margaret, Muriel Pavlowo, who is a violinist, has performances at home, goes to a tutor, prepares for a concert which is the climax of the film.
The film introduces Kenneth Griffith as the shop assistant – a sinister and ambiguous role. He was to appear in the great range of British films in a variety of characters and performances.
Also in the supporting cast is Kathleen Harrison as the housekeeper and a short sequence of witness by Irene Handle. Derek Farr, who was married to Muriel Pabvlow in life, is a veteran returning from the war with goods for the shop. He is also in love with the daughter.
The director, George King, directed a great number of smaller British films during the 1940s.
1. Post-war Britain? Ordinary life, the streets, homes? The film as a thriller? Art dealer and criminals?
2. The visuals of the street, the shop, the interiors? The musical score? The theatre and the concert?
3. The tone, the title? Decius in himself? His age, his story, criminal, Devil’s Island, the background of the continent, crime? Coming to the United Kingdom? Love for his daughter? Her life? The shop, the clients, his antiques, his deals? His love of music, Margaret, the performances, promotion? Taking on Archie Fellows as his assistant?
4. Archie Fellows, in himself, his manner? Malice? His work, keeping an eye on the goods? His knowledge? Attracted to the daughter? His ambitions, his presence, knowledge, the beginning of the blackmail attempts, there is visits, his acquiring the goods, his house, his girlfriend, his lifestyle? Confronting Decius? Decius killing him?
5. Decius and his associate, stealing the goods, collaboration, wanting to break the collaboration, yet removing the assistant’s body, the accident and his death?
6. Margaret, the lessons, the tutor, playing? Practice? The attraction to Robert Graham? The initial performance, the interactions with Fellows? The preparation for the concert, the promotion, her performance?
7. The concert, Decius is going to the concert, Robert Graham present, seeing him, finding his memento? Confronting Decius with the truth? Decius and his life and achievement, ending his life for his daughter?
