Little Red Monkey (1955)

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

Russian intrigue has a famous Russian scientist in hiding in London, protected by secret agents as Russian agents scheme to find him and kill him. A red monkey is seen escaping from the scene of a murder, and if that doesn't give foreign agents an alibi, nothing else can. American agent Richard Conte comes to London to get involved in the solving of the case and gets himself more than he bargained for with the presence of the lovely Rona Anderson. It's pretty dry, with the organ and piano score making it seem like a TV drama rather than big screen. This is a rather slow cold war melodrama that takes some patience to get into, although the monkey fingerprints are very cute. While the new wave style of filmmaking worked for novice directors like Kubrick and Aldrich, some experimental works seemed just odd. Moments of comedy add to a frantic finale that shows this to be a film with multiple personalities.

Around 60 years ago I remember the title number being played on the radio.Lyrics were added and it was sung by Jimmy Edwards.The film is rather less memorable being a fairly routine spy thriller starring an ageing Richard Conte as the parachuted in fading American star for the benefit of the American distributors.The DVD has some interesting trailers and an alternative beginning.This is far longer and much less puncture than the actual beginning.There is an intrepid reporter trying to ferret out a story,ignoring the fact that the government would quash any story with a D notice.Still this film was very topical at the time with the defection of Burgess and MacLean.

The Burgess, Maclean and Philby spy drama of the early 1950s inspired Merton Park Studios to produce this cold war'B' drama about a midget Russian spy who controls a red monkey and who with his spy colleagues go about bumping off nuclear scientists in Britain.Actor Russell Napier is upgraded from his Scotland Yard inspector role which he performed in the acclaimed Edgar Lustgarten 1950s TV crime series.Another user review above has written a detailed synopsis of the plot so I won't repeat it.There is a very catchy tune "The Little Red Monkey" played on the organ which was popular at the time and which accompanies this film.Rhona Anderson who plays Russell Napier's niece threw herself I thought too willingly at Richard Conte, the American State Department agent who is helping British security to transport Livchenko to the U.S.to gain political asylum along with his nuclear secrets.At about one hour duration this 'B' movie keeps the attention of the viewer and I awarded it 6/10.

This very British film was a "B" picture given headlines because of the title song which was a massive hit in both the Uk and in the States.Only read below if you want to know about The little red monkey.The little red monkey was in fact a very very small/tiny adult russian spy who because of his size could enter small areas thought safe agains five foot plus size humans.He was only called "The Midget" in the film and he was played by Leonard franks.This was the basis of the movie.If you ever get to watch this film, do not expect too much and you will not be disappionted.The music is freely on line to download from various sites in the UK. Just type in "the little red monkey" into a search engine and up will pop lots of links.