Ring of Treason

Robert Tronson, better known as a TV film director, helmed the production of RING OF SPIES, aka RING OF TREASON, which is a kind of British noir cautionary tale based on the Gordon Lonsdale spy case in the UK in the 1950s.

Of undeniable quality for a B flick, it is professionally done, solid Arthur Lavis cinematography, competent editing by Thelma Connell, and good acting by unusual lead Bernard Lee in the even more unlikely role of womanizer, tippler, and money-driven spy; Margaret Tyzack as the upstanding, fully compliant state functionary who gets corrupted by Lee, and falls in the web of espionage crime (needless to say, both Lee and Tyzack end up looking stupid and untrustworthy, soiling their good name forever; William Sylvester does well with his short part as the nefarious Gordon Lonsdale; and Thorley Walters portrays very effectively Commander Winters as the overseer of the sting operation that netted the ring of spies.

In that context, I particularly liked the deployment of police personnel and vehicles following the suspects, the way one accountant-like copper kept taking note of how much Houghton (Lee) spent on drinking alone, and sharp arithmetic calculations uncovering the fact that he and Tyzack simply did not earn enough to maintain such a lavish lifestyle.

Definitely worth watching both as dramatization of a real incident and something to learn from: careful what you wish for, it could change you and your life... and seldom, if ever, for the better. 7/10.