The Next of Kin

1942

1h 42m

IMDb RATING

5.0/10

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Drama

War

Thriller

Mystery

Lots of slogans such as "Be like Dad, Keep Mum" and "Keep it under your Hat" are visible on the walls in various scenes to reinforce the plot of this British wartime movie illustrating how gossipy talk can result in unknowingly giving valuable information to Nazi spies.

Directors

Thorold Dickinson

Writers

Basil Bartlett(writer by)

Angus MacPhail(writer by)

Thorold Dickinson(writer by)

Stars

Mervyn Johns

Nova Pilbeam

Reginald Tate

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Photos3

Top cast

No 23: Mr Davis

Beppie Leemans

Maj. Richards

No 16

Mr. Barratt

Brigade Major Harcourt

Pvt. John

Lt. Cummins

Miss Clare

Mrs. Webster

Naval captain

Mr Vemon

Brigadier Blunt

Pvt. Durnford

Intelligence officer

German General

ATS drover with puncture

Frederick Leister

Colonel

Directors

Thorold Dickinson

Writers

Basil Bartlett(writer by)

Angus MacPhail(writer by)

Thorold Dickinson(writer by)

All cast & crew

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User reviews1

Review

Featured review

6/10

This isn't so much an action film, as a series of scenarios that convey a message to the watching public that "careless talk costs lives". It started out life as a training film and you can tell by the rather clunky editing that director Thorold Dickinson was thinking on his feet as this project aimed at the military grew into a very important, and effective, counter-espionage tool. It's got quite a formidable cast of serving (or reservist) soldiers including Mervyn Johns, Jack Hawkins, Stephen Murray, Basil Sydney as well as Torin Thatcher in his typical role as the baddie; and the narrative weaves threads that cleverly expose just how easily the enemy got hold of information and capitalised on it. It uses actuality from time to time, and has a strange sort of excitement especially as the climaxes to each thread are not always favourable to the British which also lends it a considerable authenticity. There is a bit of wartime black humour to enjoy too, and though a curious film to watch, it has an unique plausibility which I found interesting, and to an extent, quite enjoyable.

Geronimo196726 Jun, 2022