Whispering Smith Hits London LE (4K-UHD) ***Preorder*** 12/15

In this rediscovered classic, restored for a new generation, Private detective Steve "Whispering" Smith is intent on holidaying in England but soon becomes distracted by a pretty face. Unfortunately, the pretty face comes with a problem attached – and that problem is murder.

Featuring strong support from Greta Gynt, Herbert Lom, Rona Anderson and Alan Wheatley, Whispering Smith Hits London has been painstakingly restored by Hammer in 4K from the original film negatives.

In Hammer’s take on the hard-boiled detective, Hollywood mainstay and latter-day science-horror notable Richard Carlson gives an affable performance as a two-fisted detective let loose in London in this exciting – and at times unsettling – Noir-tinged crime thriller.

This limited collector's edition comprises:

• Whispering Smith Hits London, its US version Whispering Smith vs. Scotland Yard and supporting material on two discs in a stylish digipak and rigid box: one UHD and one Blu-ray, with the content duplicated across both formats.
• English, French, Italian, Spanish and German subtitles on each version of the film.

The discs feature:

• New commentary with the bfi’s Curator of Fiction Jo Botting and podcaster Dave Thomas.
• New commentary with film historian Richard Holliss and author/screenwriter Gavin Collinson.
• He's Got a Gun!: Author, film-maker and Film Noir fan Chris Alexander casts an appreciative eye over a film that he believes is "a perfect example of Hammer doing what they did best at this period".
• Acting the Foreigner: Film historian Lucy Bolton, author Barry Forshaw and William Fowler and Vic Pratt, authors and creators/curators of the bi’s ongoing Flipside series cast an appreciative eye over acting legend Herbert Lom’s early career.
• Titillating Titles: When there is more than one version of a film, which is the definitive article? Vic Pratt and William Fowler examine the differences between the UK and US versions of Whispering Smith and discuss how versions of the same material can resonate in different ways for different audiences.
• Alfie Cox Interview: Interviewed in 1992 for the British Entertainment History Project, this extract from editor Alfie Cox’s career-long interview covers his time as editor at Hammer.
• The Village of Bray: Filmed in 1950 and released a year later, this short documentary travelogue made by Exclusive Films looks at the bucolic Thames-side village of Bray and its inhabitants.
• A gallery of stills and publicity material alongside tracks from Frank Spencer’s score.

The booklet features:

• New article by Hammer expert Wayne Kinsey examining the making of Whispering Smith Hits London.
• New article by Philip Kemp, who considers the many aspects of Whispering Smith in books and on films and television.
• New article by Nora Fiore, who appraises the Noir films of eternal femme fatale Greta Gynt.
• New article by Vincent Barnett, who investigates the many flavours of Hammer’s crimer output and how it informed their later work.
• New article by Sarah Morgan, who shines a light on Richard Carlson, once a prolific actor but now almost an enigma.
• New article by Wayne Kinsey, who examines how James Carreras’ wheeler-dealing gave Hammer an enviable advantage over their British competitors.

The features, packaging and specification on this page are not final and are subject to change.