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The Painted Smile
The Painted Smile
	Original British quad poster
Directed by	Lance Comfort
Written by	Pip and Jane Baker
Based on	an original idea by Brock Williams
Produced by	Tom Blakeley
Starring	Liz Fraser; Kenneth Griffith
Cinematography	Basil Emmott
Edited by	John Trumper
Music by	Martin Slavin
Production; companies	Blakeley's Films (M/C) Ltd.; Colorama Features; Mancunian Film Corporation
Distributed by	Planet Film Distributors (UK)
Release date	May 1962 (UK);
Running time	56 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

The Painted Smile (US title: Murder Can Be Deadly) is a 1962 British second feature^[1] thriller film directed by Lance Comfort and starring Liz Fraser, Kenneth Griffith, Peter Reynolds and Tony Wickert.^[2] It was written by Pip and Jane Baker.^[3]

Plot

Tom, a student, comes under suspicion of murder when he discovers a dead body in the flat of con artist Jo. After he touches the murder weapon, Jo convinces him it is in his interest to dispose of the body. The victim was Jo's partner in crime who has been murdered by a Soho gang boss. However, the suspicions of the police are aroused and Tom becomes the obvious suspect.

Cast

Liz Fraser as Jo Lake
Kenneth Griffith as Kleinie
Peter Reynolds as Mark
Tony Wickert as Tom
Craig Douglas as nightclub singer
Nanette Newman as Mary
Ray Smith as Glynn
David Hemmings as Roy
Harold Berens as Mikhala
Grazina Frame as Lucy
Richard McNeff as police inspector
Gerald Sim as plain clothes policeman
Rosemary Chalmers as Gloria
Mia Karam as Dawn
Terence Maidment as henchman
Bill Stevens as henchman
Lionel Ngakane as barman
Ann Wrigg as manageress

Critical reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "Though neatly put across, the workaday script is both pretentious and none too convincing. The main interest lies in the straight performance of Liz Fraser in an unsympathetic role, and in the efficient location work at St. Pancras Station."^[4]

Kine Weekly wrote: "The picture gets quickly off the mark and, following the showmanlike night club opening, devolves into a lively battle of brains and brawn between Kleinie and the boys. Liz Fraser proves that she can act, as well as wiggle, as the far from scrupulous Jo, Tony Wickert is more than adequate as sucker Tom, Kenneth Griffith cuts a sinister figure as Kleinie, and Peter Reynolds and singer Craig Douglas score as guest artists. The chase climax is both salutary and suspenseful, and the settings are suitably varied."^[5]

The Radio Times wrote: "this dreadfully dull British B-movie makes its brief running time seem like an eternity."^[6]

Chibnall and McFarlane in The British 'B' Film call the film an "above-average melodrama."^[1]

Cinedelica called the film "engaging and without a dull moment. Good stuff."^[7]

References

^ ^a ^b Chibnall, Steve; McFarlane, Brian (2009). The British 'B' Film. London: BFI/Bloomsbury. p. 107. ISBN 978-1-8445-7319-6.
^ "The Painted Smile". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 25 December 2023.
^ Vagg, Stephen (11 November 2024). "Peter Reynolds: Forgotten Cad". Filmink. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
^ "The Painted Smile". The Monthly Film Bulletin. 29 (336): 68. 1 January 1962 – via ProQuest.
^ "The Painted Smile". Kine Weekly. 539 (2845): 19. 12 April 1962 – via ProQuest.
^ David Parkinson. "The Painted Smile". RadioTimes.
^ "Cinedelica: DVD review: The Painted Smile (1962) / Rag Doll (1958)". cinedelica.com.