Face the Music

Jazz trumpeter James Bradley (“Brad”) is working in a show at the London Palladium when he meets beautiful night-club singer Maxine Halbard. He takes her back to her flat, but absent-mindedly leaves his trumpet behind when he leaves. The next day the police return it to him – Maxine has been murdered and it seems that he was the last person to see her alive. Now under suspicion of the crime, Brad sets out to clear his name…

Original trailer

Production Details

A Hammer production released by Exclusive Films (UK) and Lippert Films (USA)
Copyright 1953 by Exclusive Films Ltd.

From the novel “Face the Music” by Ernest Borneman

All characters in this photoplay are fictitious and bear no resemblance to any real person, living or dead

RCA Sound System
Produced at Exclusive Studios, Bray, England
Black & White 84 minutes

Filming dates: 22nd June – 17th July 1953
UK Release: 22nd February 1954

Studio:
Bray Studios, Down Place, Oakley Green, Berkshire

On Location:
Elvaston Place, Kensington, London – James exits a taxi at 12 Bridge Street
Kensington High Street, London – Night scene when James goes back to see Barbara

Stills from film

Click an image for enlarged slideshow

Cast & Crew

Cast – Complete awaiting verification
Crew – Believed complete

CREW	NAME	CREDITED	AGE AT RELEASE	BIRTH	Hidden	DEATH	AGE	CREDITS	UNCREDITED	TOTAL HAMMER
Art Director	J. Elder Wills	Yes	53	26 Apr 1900		1970	69	22		22
Assistant Director	Jimmy Sangster	Yes	26	2 Dec 1927		19 Aug 2011	83	66	2	68
Boom Operator	Percy Britten	No	34	1 Oct 1919		1996	76		23	23
Camera Operator	John Reid	No							2	2
Camera Operator	Len Harris	Yes	37	19 May 1916		21 Feb 1995	78	63	2	65
Camera Operator	Tom Day	No							1	1
Clapper Loader	Tom Friswell	No	24	1930		2002	72		18	18
Continuity	Renee Glynne	Yes	27	3 Aug 1926		6 Apr 2022	95	41	3	44
Director	Terence Fisher	Yes	49	23 Feb 1904		18 Jun 1980	76	31		31
Director of Photography	Walter Harvey BSc	Yes	51	9 Feb 1903		1979	75	35		35
Editor	Maurice Rootes	Yes	36	12 Apr 1917		17 Jun 1997	80	8		8
First Assistant Editor	Alfred Cox	No	29	1925		2005	80	21	4	25
Focus Puller	Harry Oakes	No	33	16 Jan 1921		11 Dec 2012	91	3	56	59
Hairdresser	Nina Broe	Yes				1993		11		11
Make-up	Phil Leakey		45	4 May 1908		26 Nov 1992	84	50		50
Musical Director	Ivor Slaney	Yes	32	27 May 1921		20 Mar 1998	76	11	1	12
Musical Director	Kenny Baker	Yes	32	1 Mar 1921		7 Dec 1999	78	2	1	3
Producer	Michael Carreras		26	21 Dec 1927		19 Apr 1994	66	98	11	109
Production Manager	Mickey Delamar	Yes	46	1908		1971	63	10	1	11
Production Secretary	Doreen Soan	No	28	1926	1 Jan 1926		99	3	3	6
Screenplay	Ernest Borneman	Yes	38	12 Apr 1915		4 Jun 1995		1		1
Second Assistant Director	Fred Slark	No	31	8 Oct 1922		22 Dec 1988	66		1	1
Second Assistant Director	Spencer Reeve	No	30	10 Dec 1923		15 Dec 1975	52	8	2	10
Sound Camera Operator	Don Alton	No	40	1914		18 Jan 1987	73		9	9
Sound Maintenance	J. Woodiwiss	No	44	14 Jun 1909		1987	77		6	6
Sound Recording	Bill Salter	Yes	50	1904		1987	83	17		17
Sound Recording	George Burgess	Yes	57	1897		Feb 1956	59	3		3
Still Photographer	John Jay	No	33	14 Nov 1920		29 Apr 2005	84	13	22	35
Trumpet Theme and Special Arrangements	Kenny Baker	Yes	32	1 Mar 1921		7 Dec 1999	78	3	1	4
Wardrobe	Molly Arbuthnot	Yes	45	19 Dec 1908		31 Oct 2001	92	48	5	53
CAST
Band Member	Michael Carreras	No	26	21 Dec 1927		19 Apr 1994	66	98	11	109
Bandleader	Kenny Baker	No	32	1 Mar 1921		7 Dec 1999	78	3	1	4
Barbara Quigley	Eleanor Summerfield	Yes	32	7 Mar 1921		13 Jul 2001	80	3		3
Card Player	Arthur Howell	No	34	5 Jan 1920		Aug 1993	83		6	6
Constable	Frank Pettit	No	54	16 Oct 1899		27 Mar 1964	64		1	1
Doctor	Robert Sansom	No	50	19 May 1903		9 Jan 1979	75		1	1
Dresser	Leo Phillips	No	40	1 Feb 1914					3	3
Gambler	Martin Lyder	No	31	30 Sep 1922		12 Jan 2003	80		4	4
Gatekeeper	Ben Williams	No	61	6 Oct 1892		Dec 1960	68	1	3	4
Gloria Lewis Colt	Paula Byrne	Yes	27	17 Apr 1927		11 Jul 2008	81	1		1
Hotel Bellhop	Melvyn Hayes	No	19	11 Jan 1935			89	3	1	4
Inspector Mulrooney	Martin Boddey	Yes	46	16 Apr 1907		24 Oct 1975	68	4		4
James Bradley	Alex Nicol	Yes	38	20 Jan 1916		29 Jul 2001	85	2		2
Jeff Colt	Arthur Lane	Yes	43	11 Jun 1910		28 Apr 1987	76	2		2
Johnny Sutherland	Paul Carpenter	Yes	32	8 Dec 1921		12 Jun 1964	42	5	1	6
Maurice Green	Geoffrey Keen	Yes	37	21 Aug 1916		3 Nov 2005	89	4		4
Max Margulis	John Salew	Yes	52	27 Feb 1902		14 Sep 1961	59	1		1
Maxine	Ann Hanslip	Yes	20	25 Jan 1934		9 Jan 2013	78	2		2
Mickey - Barman	James Carney	No	43	16 Jan 1911		25 Aug 1955	44		1	1
Policeman	Patrick Jordan	No	30	20 Oct 1923		10 Jan 2020	96		1	1
Recording Technician	Jeremy Hawk	No	35	20 May 1918		15 Jan 2002	83	2	1	3
Stage Callboy	Tony Hilton	No	25	1 Apr 1928		28 Oct 1984	56		1	1
Stage Manager	Freddie Tripp	No				8 Dec 1968			1	1
The Inspector	Fred Johnson	Yes	54	6 Aug 1899		4 Dec 1971	72	6	2	8
Trumpet Salesman	Frank Birch	No	64	5 Dec 1889		14 Feb 1956	66	1	1	2
Waiter	Mark Singleton	No	34	2 Mar 1919		24 Jul 1986	67		2	2
With	Gordon Crier	No	41	2 Oct 1912		16 Sep 1984	71		1	1

Original Poster

Click to enlarge

Footnotes

American actor Alex Nicol made one more film for Hammer – The House Across the Lake (1954).

Fred Johnson was another of those character actors who was employed quite regularly by Hammer. His films for them include The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), The Brides of Dracula (1960) and Taste of Fear (1961) – where he probably had his quietest role playing a corpse which keeps turning up throughout the film!

1954 BBFC Cert. “A”

Production Details

Stills from film

Cast & Crew

Original Poster

Footnotes

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