The Floating Dutchman

This is a swift and straightforward crime thriller, adapted from a novel by Nicholas Bentley. When a corpse turns up in the Thames, it turns out to be the eponymous Dutchman. Scotland Yard figures it links to Sidney Tafter, a nightclub owner and suspected jewel thief, so they send in Dermot Walsh undercover to join his gang, which he does in jig time, while romancing hostess Mary Germaine.

It all moves ahead at a good clip thanks to a script and direction by Vernon Sewell, and there is a bit of excitement towards the end. One peculiarity are a couple of character names, doubtless borrowed from the novel: Miss Germain's character is named Rose Reid... and Tafter's chief henchman is called Snow White. Given Bentley's sideline in cartooning -- he is best known for his illustrations to T.S. Elliot's OLD POSSUM'S BOOK OF PRACTICAL CATS, this was probably a theme of his.