Film Snail

5.8

A Touch of Larceny

NR·1960·93m

Comedy

Crime

Comedy

Crime

Summary

After falling in love with an American woman, Virginia Killain, who is engaged to another man, British Naval Commander Max Easton, hatches a plan that will get him enough money to support Virginia in the lifestyle she is accustomed to. Easton's plan is to disappear for a time making it seem that he has defected to the Soviets taking important Naval secrets from his job at the Admiralty and to return and sue the newspapers for slander. Not everything goes as planned for Commander Easton.

Cast

James Mason

Cmdr. Max Easton

George Sanders

Sir Charles Holland

Vera Miles

Virginia Killain

Robert Flemyng

Cmdr. John Larkin

Oliver Johnston

Minister

William Kendall

Tom

Duncan Lamont

1st Special Branch man Gregson

Harry Andrews

Capt. Graham

Peter Barkworth

Sub Lt. Brown

Rachel Gurney

Clara Holland

Martin Stephens

John Holland

Waveney Lee

Marcia Holland

Charles Carson

Robert Holland

Junia Crawford

Susan

Henry B. Longhurst

Club Member (as Henry Longhurst)

Roger Maxwell

Club Member

Gerald Case

Club Member

Donald Bisset

Club Member

Desmond Roberts

Club Member

Reginald Smith

Club Steward

Rosemary Dorken

WREN Officer

MacDonald Parke

Jason Parrish (as Macdonald Parke)

Mavis Villiers

Adele Parrish

Ernest Clark

Cmdr. Bates

Alexander Archdale

Local Doctor (uncredited)

Basil Dignam

Lt. Cmdr. Evans at P.R.O. (uncredited)

Mabel Etherington

Nightclub Patron (uncredited)

Gordon Harris

2nd Special Branch Man Jones (uncredited)

Barbara Hicks

Miss Price (uncredited)

John Horsley

1st Editor (uncredited)

Frederick Kelsey

Club Member (uncredited)

John Le Mesurier

Head of the Admiralty (uncredited)

Ronald Leigh-Hunt

2nd Editor (uncredited)

Richard Marner

Russian Officer Cornered by Max Easton (uncredited)

William Mervyn

Capt. Balfour (uncredited)

Andre Mikhelson

2nd Russian Officer (uncredited)

John More

American General at Embassy Party (uncredited)

Dickie Owen

2nd Policeman (uncredited)

Frederick Piper

Hall Porter (uncredited)

Pat Ryan

Nightclub Patron (uncredited)

Stanley Zevic

1st Russian Officer (uncredited)

Crew

Director, Writer

Guy Hamilton

Novel

Paul Winterton

Screenplay

Roger MacDougall

Writer

Ivan Foxwell

Reviews

Geronimo1967

April 20, 2023

James Mason is the caddish Royal Naval officer "Easton" killing time in his unchallenging job from day to day until he meets "Virginia" (Vera Miles) and suddenly he has to up his game - and his income. The former is easy enough, but the latter is a problem until he devises a cunning wheeze to appear to defect to the Soviets only to return, all innocent, and to sue the defaming newspapers. One additional fly in his ointment - the girl is already engaged to "Sir Charles Holland" (George Sanders). "Easton" goes to great and public lengths to implement his plan, but on his return he realises that there is far more going on than he anticipated - and we are unsure whom is the cat and whom is the mouse... Mason is great in this, he has the role of the amiable rogue down to a T, but Miles is less engaging and Sanders features a bit too sparingly to allow his character to get up much of an head of steam. It is amusing at times, though, and Guy Hamilton and a strong script keep the pace building nicely to an ending that is not without quirk or two.