You Pay Your Money is a 1957 British crime drama film directed by Maclean Rogers and starring Hugh McDermott, Jane Hylton and Honor Blackman. The thriller was one of the Butcher's Film Service's 1950s B film genre.
Plot
On a visit to Belgium, married couple Bob (Hugh McDermott ) and Susie Westlake (Honor Blackman) become involved with wealthy financier, Steve Mordaunt (Ivan Samson), in the sale and transfer of a collection of rare books. In an attempted burglary at Mordaunt's home, his love interest, Mrs. Rosemary Delgado (Jane Hylton), is suspected. She was once romantically linked to a gangster and she leads the Westlakes in a search for Achemd's writings, a middle eastern 14th Century seer which has inspired an extreme political group, and thought to be in the collection of rare books that Mourdaunt now owns.
The Westlakes become embroiled in a struggle over the valuable Arabic manuscripts, and when Susie is kidnapped by extremists, Bob works as an assistant to Tom Cookson, a manuscript smuggler (Hugh Moxey) who is importing the rare texts the gang are seeking. The extremists demand Mourdaunt turn over his collection of rare books, and plot to incite a revolution across the Middle East but can the Westlakes prevent a serious international situation?
Cast
Hugh McDermott as Bob Westlake
Jane Hylton as Mrs. Rosemary Delgado
Honor Blackman as Susie Westlake
Hugh Moxey as Tom Cookson
Ivan Samson as Steve Mordaunt
Ferdy Mayne as Delal
Shirley Deane as Doris Squire
Gerard Heinz as Dr. Burger
Peter Swanwick as Hall Porter
Basil Dignam as Currie
Fred Griffiths as Fred (Driver) Ben Williams as Seymour Elsie Wagstaff as Ada Seymour Vincent Holman as Briggs Mark Daly as Goodwin Myles Rudge as Estate Agent Jack Taylor as 1st Thug Larry Taylor as 2nd Thug Robert Dorning as Birdwatcher Don Qureshi as Arab Lucette Marimar as Telephonist Amando Guinlee as Belgian Seaman Shaym Bahadur as Said Shripad Pai as Man George Roderick as Oley Jackson
Production
Principal photography on You Pay Your Money took place in the Nettlefold Studios, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, England.
Critical reception
In a review of You Pay Your Money, the Radio Times wrote, "The much maligned Butcher's Film Service holds an unenviable place in the history of British cinema. By sponsoring dozens of low-budget programmers, it enabled young talent on both sides of the camera to gain an industry foothold. Yet it mostly churned out dismal offerings such as this tale of kidnap and rare book smuggling, which is given only the merest modicum of respectability by the presence of Hugh McDermott and Honor Blackman."
A review of You Pay Your Money in TV Guide, noted, "... the execution is top notch, but the witlessness of the story rankles."
References
Notes
Bibliography
Chibnall, Steve and Brian McFarlane. The British 'B' Film. London: Palgrave MacMillan, 2009. .