John Ford's Gideon of Scotland Yard 1958

I've made no secret of the fact that John Ford is my favorite director and that I think his films of the 40's and 50's are his best.  At first viewing Gideon of Scotland Yard is an anomaly among Ford's films,  his only tragicomedy and his only cop film, as Ford made few films during this period that took place in contemporary America, The Last Hurrah (also 1958) is an unusual exception. Gideon of Scotland Yard, of course, takes place in London, with the music of "London Bridge is Falling Down"  throughout.  Police Inspector George Gideon (Jack Hawkins) is the kind of character found in many Ford films,  a man who follows his duty while neglecting his family, not getting home in time for his daughter's (Anna Massey) concert or his wife's (Anna Lee) dinner and bringing home haddock instead of the salmon his wife requested.

In London Gideon is confronted with corruption and murder, in a modern world of entropy.  Cinematographer Freddie Young shows London in beautiful pastels -- the film was originally only shown in black-and-white in America!) -- while the cops face frustration at every turn, trying to stop murderers and robbers of every sort; Gideon doesn't even get time to eat lunch, though he regularly gets offered "a nice cup of tea" when he goes to see the relatives of those who have been killed.  As often happens in Ford's films the women hold down hearth and home and culture while Gideon faces a constant battle against bribery and violence.