The Man in Black (film)

The Man in Black is a 1950 British second feature ('B') thriller film produced by Hammer Films, directed by Francis Searle and starring Betty Ann Davies, Sid James, Sheila Burrell, and Anthony Forwood, with Valentine Dyall in the title role. It was written by John Gilling from a story by Searle, which in turn was based on the popular British radio series Appointment with Fear by John Dickson Carr which featured Valentine Dyall as "The Man in Black". Dyall provides the on-screen introduction to the film. Jimmy Sangster was the assistant director. This was the first film Hammer ever produced at Oakley Court. Production began on 8 Aug. 1949, and the film was released in January 1950 (in UK only). As this film was in production, James Carreras traveled to the United States to sign a distribution deal with Robert L. Lippert which resulted in Hammer's films being better distributed in the US in the early 1950s.