Martin Bradley A surprisingly good British B-Movie from the reliably excellent Guy Green that most people don't know and have never seen but which has built up something of a cult reputation. That fine German actor Peter Van Eyck is the killer who fakes his wife's death by suicide but who remains the prime suspect in her murder in the eyes of his teenage step-daughter, (the once hugely talented child actress Mandy Miller not making a very good transition into adult acting; this was to be her last film). It's hardly Hitchcock but it's nicely plotted and well directed by Green. It also makes good use of its Italian locations and if it remains a minor work in the Green canon it is still a very enjoyable genre piece.

gridoon2018 Two of the most essential features of a good thriller are suspense and mystery: "The Snorkel" does well in the former department (there are some very suspenseful sequences, like when Peter van Eyck tries to drown Mandy Miller in the sea), but doesn't even make an effort in the latter (the killer, and his modus operandi, are shown in the opening sequence, before even the titles). Every time there is a chance for a little twist (like, for example, Betta St. John believing Miller all along but only pretending not to), the film ignores it. The leading trio (plus the dog!) give effective performances (and might I add that Betta St. John has a great body?), and the film does have a memorable just-desserts ending, though the very last scene softens the blow somewhat. On the whole, it's a more than adequate little thriller, but it's no "Shadow Of A Doubt". **1/2 out of 4.

cabarbaro Hammer films are known for its horror movies, but there was a time when they made some fine thrillers like this, a delicious movie with the structure of a Columbo episode, only ten years in advance. With five minutes we know who is the murder and how he did it. From there on, we will suffer with a brave girl who, like the lieutenant, years later, knows from heart who the murder is, but, since the method he used is a clever one, eluding all around him, needs to solve the puzzle before the murder turns to her. No goofy moments here, the movie is truly watchable after all these years. It was not easy to find some years ago, but today you can find where to see it online with a quick research on the web.

ferbs54 A little-known picture sporting an amusing title, "The Snorkel" yet reveals itself to be an excellent suspenser; a genuine sleeper that may be finding some latter-day acclaim thanks to this great-looking print in the Hammer "Icons of Suspense" DVD box set. Released in 1958 by Hammer Studios, shortly after the famed British filmmaking independent began its reign of the Gothic horror niche with that year's "The Curse of Frankenstein," the picture is a tale of murder and suspense without being an actual mystery. In the film's very first scene, we are privy to the central murder and made aware of how the killer contrives to make his victim look like a suicide. Using the titular gizmo, Paul Decker (played with icy Germanic menace by Peter van Eyck) manages to stay alive in a sealed room while he asphyxiates his wife with gas. He then hides beneath a covered trapdoor in the floor, leading the local authorities in the French/Italian border region (the locale in the film IS vitally important to its plot) to automatically render that verdict of suicide. But Decker's stepdaughter, Candy (14-year-old former child actress Mandy Miller, here in her final film), knows better, already suspecting him of having drowned her dad several years before. Too bad, though, that no one will believe her, including her beautiful nanny, Jean (Betta St. John, who many viewers will recall from the 1960 fright classic "Horror Hotel"), resulting in quite a nail-biting game of cat and mouse between Candy and the increasingly dangerous Decker. And this desperate standoff between the two turns more and more suspenseful as the viewer wonders just how--or if--Candy will ever prove her claim to the authorities before the killer manages to finish her off!van Eyck, it must be said, is truly excellent as the cold-blooded Decker, while Mandy, appealing as can be, proves herself a fine little actress as well; likable, cute and effective. The film's direction by Guy Green is gripping and often imaginative, and co-writer Jimmy Sangster (who seems to have been responsible for so many of these Brit thrillers) here provides quite the ingenious and clever story line. The film has been beautifully shot in B&W--the nighttime photography is especially gorgeous--and features any number of impressive sequences. My favorite: Paul tries to "save" (i.e., drown) Candy in the ocean. The film builds to an extremely tense windup, capped off by not one but TWO highly satisfying resolutions. Those viewers who had hoped for some kind of comeuppance as regards Decker will NOT be disappointed! In all, "The Snorkel" is surprisingly likable; indeed, I found myself enjoying it even more than the overly plotted 1963 Hammer film "Maniac" (also written by Sangster), which is to be found on the same disc. And oh...despite the "Maltin Classic Movie Guide"'s assertion that the running time for "The Snorkel" is a brief 74 minutes, the version that I just watched was more like 90. And that's a good thing. With a film like this one--a real treat for young and old alike, and one that you'll likely recommend to your friends--the more, the better!