Counterblast
A Nazi scientist plots biological warfare in postwar Britain.
Counterblast, also released as Devil's Plot, is a 1948 British thriller from director Paul L. Stein. The cast includes Robert Beatty, Mervyn Johns, and Nova Pilbeam. Guy Morgan and Jack Whittingham wrote the screenplay, and British National Films produced it at Elstree Studios. The story follows a Nazi scientist who breaks out of prison, kills a professor, and assumes his identity at a research lab, where he secretly works on biological weapons for a future war against Britain.
Quick Facts
- Director
- Paul L. Stein
- Producer
- Louis H. Jackson
- Writer
- Guy Morgan / Jack Whittingham
- Starring
- Robert Beatty / Mervyn Johns / Nova Pilbeam / Margaretta Scott
- Music
- Hans May
- Cinematography
- Moray Grant / James Wilson
- Editing
- Joseph Sterling
- Studio
- British National Films
- Distributor
- Pathé Pictures International
- Released
- 18 May 1948
- Runtime
- 99 minutes
- Country
- United Kingdom
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The film was part of a new film slate for British National. Filming began in September 1947 under the working titles Death of a Rat and So Died a Rat. Opening scenes were shot at Colchester in an actual POW camp, and the film was shot over eight weeks. The cast includes Margaretta Scott, Sybille Binder, Marie Lohr, Karel Stepanek, Alan Wheatley, and others.
Reader's Guide
Counterblast is notable as one of the first films to address Nazi experiments with germ warfare. Contemporary reviews noted its topical and disturbingly plausible story, though some critics found the plot far-fetched and over-long. The Monthly Film Bulletin praised Mervyn Johns's dramatic performance, while Kine Weekly called it a solid espionage melodrama. The Radio Times Guide to Films gave it 2/5 stars, describing it as an ambitious picture for its time. David Quinlan rated it 'average,' citing holes in the plot. The film's US release in 1953 drew a mixed review from Variety, which noted heavy-handedness but acknowledged suspense maintained by Stein's direction.
Did You Know?
- The film was also known as Devil's Plot.
- Filming started in September 1947 under the titles Death of a Rat and So Died a Rat.
- Opening scenes were shot at an actual POW camp in Colchester.
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