Can any one help identify a film for me. I saw this probably twenty years ago on the TV and have often wondered what it was called and if it is available on tape or disc. It was a ( probably ) 1950's ( may have been a little earlier ) black and white British police /detective film. A crime had been committed and there had been a car crash ( get-away car I think ) , Various clues were found at the site of the crash and the fascination was how these clues were followed up, mostly leading to dead ends but one leading to the baddies. I remember one clue was a paper bag from a bakers or cake shop. Not much to go on I know! Thanks. Thank you for the suggestions about the 'cake shop bag film'. It wasn't Z Cars as it was definately a film rather than TV series. Though I did see it on the small screen. I remember it as black and white but it may have been so long ago that that was all the poor old telly could manage. 'Gideon' was probably about the right time but I am familiar with the 'Gideon' novels and , to a lesser extent, films and they usually have several - what are now called - incidents on the go and developing through the plot. I don't think this was the case, certainly there were several clues followed up but I am sure they all related to the same occurence. 'Lost' ( 1956 ) is an intriguing suggestion but I can't find enough detail about it to say one way or the other. I did find a very interesting website IMCDb.org which actually goes through old films and list the cars seen in them along with images of the scenes they appear in - fascinating! Looking at the scenes for 'Lost' the searching would appear to be done by the parents of the missing child rather than the police and I don't remember this, I do remember plenty of very serious crew cut Bobbies and Detectives ( Macs and trilbys )and their stiff upper-lips, though I could be way off the mark with all this. Thank you.

Is it a 'Scotland Yard' Film? They had an introducton by Edgar Lustion.
If not one of these (over 39), Check the 'Cataloge of British Film' at the libary but as you don't mention a star! or a relevant plot, but this was a series of films shorts ('30' mins) which covered most of what you mentioned

I think you mean Edgar Lustgarten.

Have you tried "the long arm" with Jack Hawkins as the lead scotland yard detective on the case,film starts with a break-in being discovered & the getaway car running over a man,the car is later discovered abandoned & the clues lead from there.

The clue of the paper bag from the baker's shop is definitely from "LOST" (1956). It was dropped in Kensington Gardens, near the scene of the crime. The movie starred David Farrar as the police inspector, and David Knight and Julia Arnall as the parents.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048315/
You may be confusing this movie with "The Long Arm" (1956), which starred Jack Hawkins, had similar clues, and was in B/W.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049845/

Thank you for the very helpful suggestions. I have purchased 'The Long Arm' and what a treat of a film that is! Though it isn't it, it is very, very like the film I remember, with similar clues leading all over the country, though in this case all the clues are relevant and ultimately lead to the miscreant, I am sure in the film I remember on investigation many of them proved to be red herrings. I remember the Edgar Lustgarten series well, who was it that said when he introduced each film Mr. Luastgarten was so scary that he must have singlehandedly reduced the British crime rate considerably, but I don't think it was one of those films. 'Lost' is not available on Amazon but I have just ordered from someone in Liverpool and look forward to seeing if it is my remembered film.

Just a thought - there was a long series of B/W Edgar Wallace mysteries "films" made for tv.

I have now received and watched 'Lost'. Another real treat from start to finish and there is the cakeshop bag clue and all the rest. But I did remember the car crash wrongly - there isn't one. The clues are found around the scene of the abduction of the child and eventually lead to his rescue. In fact these two films;'The Long Arm' and 'Lost' are very similar and I do think my memory may have amalgamated them somehow or perhaps one long quiet Sunday afternoon back in the days when we had them and films like this were on the television regularly I drifted off to sleep while one was on and woke up to find the other had started. Can anybody recommend any other favourite films of this genre or period?

Andrews,
They were not made for TV. they were second features to stuff like the 'Cary On' Films released in cinemas in the sixties first Then shown on TV!!

Try ' Hell Is A City' with Stanley Baker. Filmed on location in Manchester including Bootle Street Police Station and a final chase scene across the roof of the Midland Hotel. An absolute classic.

'Hell is a City' is absolutely brilliant, second that.........

'Hell is a City' is Brilliant and an early 'Hammer' film

Agreed"hell in the city" is another brilliant film,others I have enjoyed(& available on amazon)have been Payroll,tomorrow at ten & tread softly stranger.Once you start browsing whats available its great what gems are out there,found one of my favourites"saturday night out"recently released,fantastic film,still hoping for "town on trial"with john mills to appear on DVD,another personal favourite!Think they all have an atmosphere that cant be created in todays films.Hope you find some more classics!

Thanks for the suggestions. I know 'Hell is a city' and it is excellent, though much grittier and darker than the other police films considered here. I am very fond of "Dial 'M' for Murder' one of the greatest films of all time by one of the greatest directors, Alfred Hitchcock. This certainly has some dark aspects to it but manages to retain a similar atmosphere of orderly 'safeness', attempted murder never seemed more civilized. There is an ingenious plot and dozens of delicious touches, my favourite is right at the end when the Inspector, having solved the crime and made sure the damsel is no longer in distress, allows himself the small luxury of a discrete comb of his moustache.

Ah Hell is a City.....superb.If yer into Stanley Baker, try Hell Drivers which is a post war neglected classic and has young rising stars Sean Connery and Patrick McGoohan in it as well!
Some great other "City" tough films are: Time and The city, Cry of The City, The Naked City, While The City Sleeps [also try Thieves Highway with Richard Conte[
Mind How You Go !!!

Any one interested in seeing 'Lost' can catch it on Film 4 at the moment ( 12th August 09 ).

Does anyone know if the Lustgarten series has ever been published on DVD ?

I don't know if Edgar Lustgarten is available on DVD but a fantastically funny spoof of E L by Stanley Baxter is on a set of his ITV spectaculars; well worth it if you're a fan, as I am!

The blue Lamp with Dirk Bogard is a corker with a great car chase in it! I think it started the Dixon of Dock Green series!

Yes, he was shot dead in The Blue Lamp and was magically resurrected for the TV series.

a film that i note isn't mentioned is the marvelous 'league of gentlemen' - nothing to do with the comedy series or the 'league of extraordinary gentlemen'.

jack hawkins, brian forbes, dickie attenborough - ex-servicemen carry out a bank job using the skills they picked up in ww11. excellent.

Jack Hawkins was a superb actor, entirely believable as a villian as in 'League of Gentlemen' and a hero as in 'The Long Arm'. I think I am right in saying he played the lead in the 'Gideon' Scotland Yard series - this shared many of the characteristics of the films discussed here but also introduced an element of realism in that not all the cases were solved and nicely wrapped up.

John Gregson was the lead in the "Gideon" TV series. Jack Hawkins played Gideon in a film version - directed by John Ford!

scotland yard mysteries are available try media classics on the net , i have 24 episodes paul

Just read your forum and wondered if Town on Trial has come out yet as its my mums favourite film. Have you heard anything or do you know where I could look. Thanks!!