A fastidious insurance assessor investigates a potential case of insurance fraud in Brighton and uncovers a murder.A fastidious insurance assessor investigates a potential case of insurance fraud in Brighton and uncovers a murder.A fastidious insurance assessor investigates a potential case of insurance fraud in Brighton and uncovers a murder.
Deryck Guyler
- Station Master
- (as Derek Guyler)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe opening shot of the burning car driving off the cliff and hitting the rocks on its way into the sea was used in TV episode Car in Flames (1962). In Smokescreen, the shot included a brief cutaway of two lovers who witnessed the incident; in the TV episode, the shot was continuous.
- GoofsA running joke in the film is that both the main character and his insurance company are mean with expenses, and yet they put him up at The Grand Hotel in Brighton - the most expensive one in the town even in 1964.
- Quotes
[Roper has been sitting in the hotel bar, eating the free crisps that they provide, but not ordering anything to drink. Finally Helen arrives]
Barman: She's arrived. Now he's *sure* to buy something.
Hotel Waiter: You want to bet? He's liable to order whisky and water - without the whisky.
- ConnectionsFeatures No Hiding Place: Car in Flames (1962)
Featured review
Simple little mystery film that oozes quality
In films, so many mysteries are investigated by police officers, investigative reporters or family members, all of whom usually conform to a certain 'type', so it's a refreshing change to find a film such as 'Smokescreen' where the person doing the snooping is a very atypical character, a quirky insurance claims investigator who goes about searching for the truth in an efficient yet coldly detached manner. In bringing this character to life, the film affords us a rare early leading role from the excellent Peter Vaughan, but just about every character in this piece is portrayed by a gem of a British actor from the period, even those that appear rather fleetingly.
Added to which, the film is beautifully shot, making very good use of its Brighton location yet not to the point of distracting from the plot. From the dramatic opening scene, in which two young lovers on a clifftop have their tryst disturbed by a burning car zooming along nearby perilously out of control before it plummets over the edge, it is apparent that this is a film of superior quality. Whether or not the car's owner was actually in the vehicle when it plunged into the sea isn't clear, and that is the question which Vaughan's character, Roper, must find the answer to. And even he himself is guarding a secret, as becomes apparent among the various twists and turns this pleasing yarn takes.
My only sense of disappointment as I watched it was that I'd worked out the solution long before the end. Or so I thought, for at the climax I discovered that the film outsmarted me. See if it manages to outsmart you.
Added to which, the film is beautifully shot, making very good use of its Brighton location yet not to the point of distracting from the plot. From the dramatic opening scene, in which two young lovers on a clifftop have their tryst disturbed by a burning car zooming along nearby perilously out of control before it plummets over the edge, it is apparent that this is a film of superior quality. Whether or not the car's owner was actually in the vehicle when it plunged into the sea isn't clear, and that is the question which Vaughan's character, Roper, must find the answer to. And even he himself is guarding a secret, as becomes apparent among the various twists and turns this pleasing yarn takes.
My only sense of disappointment as I watched it was that I'd worked out the solution long before the end. Or so I thought, for at the climax I discovered that the film outsmarted me. See if it manages to outsmart you.
helpful•50
- DPMay
- Jan 18, 2020
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- L'accident d'auto
- Filming locations
- Seaford Head, Seaford, East Sussex, England, UK(Dexter's burning car falls over the cliff, witnessed by the Smudger and June)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 10 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content