Circle of Danger is a little known Noir-esque post-war thriller directed by Jacques Tourneur (Out of The Past, Cat People) and produced by one time assistant to Alfred Hitchcock, Joan Harrison (Rebecca, Suspicion). Adapted from his own novel by Philip Macdonald (Rebecca, The Lost Patrol), the film stars Ray Milland (The Lost Weekend, Love Story), Patricia Roc (The Wicked Lady) and Marius Goring (Odette, I Was Monty’s Double). It was also shot by the influential Oscar® winning cinematographer, Oswald Morris (Fiddler on the Roof, Oliver!). 

U.S. citizen Clay Douglas (Ray Milland) comes to London to investigate the mysterious death of his brother who served as a Commando with the British Forces. Suspecting that it was not a German bullet that killed him, Clay obtains the name and address of one of the members of the raiding party and begins to piece together the missing information. However, after further investigations, Clay finds himself in a situation so unexpected that all his plans for retribution are shattered.

Described by Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian in his 5 star review as “A mix of humour and seriousness that Alfred Hitchcock would have recognised and a streak of wayward romance that put me in mind of Powell and Pressburger”, the film features a remarkable final confrontation scene, showcasing Tourneur’s skill in being able to ratchet up the tension in a subtle, unshowy way whilst also succeeding in making the stunning Scottish landscape seem unbearable claustrophobic.