Could a film start with a more captivating intrigue? As Lloyd Bridges lands in London after six years divorce from his beloved, he turns to a fellow passenger on the airfield for a cigarette, while a car stops some hundred yards off, a man on crutches gets out of it, loads a rifle and shoots the man as he stands with Lloyd Bridges. What a shocking welcome!And that's only the beginning. The intrigue rolls on and unfolds in constantly more intriguing complications, while the centre of the stage gradually unfolds as being a night club, of course, with an actress of both qualifications as an assistant to a magician (who knifes her in boxes) and an accomplished singer, and she is French. There is another actress too, that's Lloyd Bridges' sweetheart, but although she still loves him after six years, she is hopelessly tangled up in complications with, as it turns out, the man that was murdered and his murderer.That's only the beginning. It will take some trouble to entangle all this mess, which constantly gets more tangled. But the film actually succeeds in this, and everyone gets away with everything, but that's a different story...This would have been an ideal subject for Hitchcock, who would have gloried in magnifying the intrigues.

I saw this movie at the Internet Archive and was pleased with the quality of the copy. I have always liked Lloyd Bridges and remember his television show, Sea Hunt, quite fondly. I sure am glad I first watched the movie and then read the reviews here. I might have given the movie a skip had I read the reviews first and that would have been a shame. The movie has a lot going for it – it has a solid cast, is fast paced with good location shots and atmosphere, has the odd flash of humor (great scene where a couple of kids are caught watching TV. when they should be asleep as noted by another reviewer) and is suspenseful. Since I was not familiar – or did not recognize – a few of the actors mentioned by others, I'll probably give this movie a second watching just to see them. Although I'm glad I saw this movie and may well see it again, the ending was a huge let down. What were the producers of this movie thinking? Worse ending ever.

People had told me about the ending of "The Limping Man" - my response was how bad could it be - the answer - extremely bad!!!! It would have been so much easier to end the film on a more conventional note - but no, someone with a vivid imagination thought - I will make this really memorable - it was memorable but for all the wrong reasons!!!Frank Prior (Lloyd Bridges) is flying back to England to see whether the girl he met during the war still loves him as much as he does her. Crossing the tarmac, one of the passengers is killed by an unknown sniper, just after Prior asks him for a light. After being cleared to go by the police, Frank, tries to contact his friend, Pauline, whose photo just happens to be in the dead man's (Kendall Brown) pocket. When he catches up with Pauline (Moira Lister) she is quite nervous. The police also want to talk to Helen Castle (Helene Cordet), who has a novelty magic act "Hey Presto". She was Kendall's wife but they have been separated for 3 years - or so she says!!!Meanwhile Frank and Pauline spend a leisurely day on the river but when the boat runs out of petrol the man who comes to their assistance seems to know her, as does a stranger from the pub. (Rachel Roberts has a few moments as a chatty barmaid). Then Frank sees the limping man!!!! He finds he is deep in a plot that involves smuggling and incriminating love letters. There is a very funny scene where Frank and Pauline climb into a room (to evade the police) where two children are watching TV - the children get upset because they think the strangers will tell their parents about their nocturnal TV viewing. When they go downstairs the parents are having a party and just assume Frank and Pauline guests!!This was typical of the style of thrillers that John Mills had made ("The Long Memory" etc). I agree Moira Lister was very lack lustre and seemed quite unexciting in her role, certainly not interesting enough to be the dare devil she portrayed. More interesting was Jean Marsh, who became famous playing Rose in the prestigious TV series "Upstairs, Downstairs" - she made her debut in this film playing the land lady's teenage daughter. Lloyd Bridges had several leading roles before his phenomenally successful role as Mike Nelson in the TV series "Sea Hunt".

Some play with the mystery thriller form—they add, accordingly, some lyricism, or stylization, or gritty toughness.THE LIMPING MAN seems in fact a rather average mystery movie, without additives (such as the poetry of some melodramas or the stylization or the grittiness); and it's not the most exciting or suspenseful and eventful thriller. I have found this flick below its excellent reputation, yet clean. Understood as a clean, straightforward 'divertissement, it's good.Lloyd Bridges plays the leading character, perhaps he's not necessarily one of my favorite actors, Moira Lister is his girlfriend, and a beautiful one, though some might find her face a little too masculine.