Echo of Barbara

Echo of Barbara is a 1960 British crime film directed by Sidney Hayers, and starring Mervyn Johns and Maureen Connell. It was written by John Kruse based on the 1959 novel of the same title by Jonathan Burke.^[1][2][3] It was one of several crime films Hayers made for Anglo-Amalgamated.^[4]

Echo of Barbara
Directed by	Sidney Hayers
Written by	John Kruse
Based on	novel Echo of Barbara by Jonathan Burke
Produced by	Julian Wintle Leslie Parkyn
Starring	Mervyn Johns Maureen Connell with Paul Stassino
Cinematography	Michael Reed
Edited by	Tristam Cones
Music by	Davide Castrati
Production company	Independent Artists
Distributed by	Anglo-Amalgamated Film Distributors (UK)
Release date	1960 (1960)
Running time	58 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

Plot

Soho stripper Paula Brown poses as Barbara, the missing sister of crooked Sam Roscoe, hoping to uncover the whereabouts of stolen money.^[5]

Cast

• Mervyn Johns as Sam Roscoe
• Maureen Connell as Paula Brown
• Paul Stassino as Caledonia
• Ronald Hines as Mike Roscoe
• Tom Bell as Ben
• Brian Peck as Ted
• Eddie Leslie as aide
• Beatrice Varley as Mrs. Roscoe
• John Abineri as Rankin
• Diana Potter as Pam

Critical reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "An intricate and implausible impersonation story, made without style and falling back on sleazy and violent backgrounds and incidents to whip up some artificial excitement."^[6]

Kine Weekly wrote: "There are some seamy and violent passages, but a strong human interest, smoothly developed by Maureen Connell as the heroine, preserves essential balance. It's potent and palatable fare. ... The picture opens in a striptease joint and has a few other sexy moments, but sensationalism is a means to a suspenseful and morally sound climax. Maureen Connell meets all acting demands and is easy on the eyes as Paula, Mervyn Johns scores as Sam, and Paul Stassino and Ronald Hines thoroughly convince as the ruthless Caledonia and two-timing Mike respectively. Its direction, too, has punch, the feminine angle is strong, and its backgrounds are suitably varied."^[7]

Allmovie called it "a better-than-usual British programmer, entertaining despite its surplus of unpleasant leading characters."^[5]