Stateless Man, The (A Scotland Yard supporting feature)

On a deserted street one November night, a Constable (Kenneth Midwood) enters an alley and comes face to face with a Man running towards him. Grace's Alley in Stepney E1.

The mark left by the street sign can still be made out. (PW)

Karol Slavik (Theodore Wilhelm) stops in his tracks before turning to flee. Grace's Alley with the Methodist Mission in the background. The building was previously Wilton's Music Hall, which had closed in 1888, and became a rag warehouse after the mission closed in 1956. The alley can be seen in 'The Adventures of Dusty Bates', 'A Little of What You Fancy', 'The Great McGonagall' and 'A Prize of Gold'.

The same background building. (PW)

A frantic voice calls "Help! Murder!" as Slavik runs from the alley. Grace's Alley with Ensign Street crossing the background.

Everything has been demolished or replaced at this junction. (PW)

With the Policeman in pursuit, Slavik continues his escape. Mill Yard off Cable Street in E1, beneath the site of the long closed Leman Street station. The narrow thoroughfare also appears in 'A Prize of Gold'.

Many elements survive and the match is good. (PW)

Diverting to answer the calls for aid, the Constable arrives with a Passer-By at a building where Mrs. Fenton points to a doorway. Facing numbers 20 and 21 Wellclose Square in E1, the former Danish Embassy.

The Embassy has become a school playground and the background properties stand on Ensign Street. (PW)

After the Constable discovers the corpse of Slavik's girlfriend Hazel Sutton, Inspector Parry begins his investigations. Looking up at Royal Jubilee Buildings from Orange Court in E1.

Taken from today's Orange Court, this is the replacement for Royal Jubilee Buildings. (PW)

The camera moves down the tenement to find a police car as it arrives at Slavik's lodgings. The Wapping High Street frontage of Royal Jubilee Buildings appear in 'River Beat' and 'Pit of Darkness'.

Less to see nowadays. (PW)

Entering the building, Inspector Parry is told by the Landlady that she hadn't seen Slavik for 24 hours. Royal Jubilee Buildings in Wapping.

The view through a convenient gap in the wall. (PW)

The Inspector is driven to an area where Eastern Europeans gather in cafés and bars where he finds an Accordion Player willing to talk. Ray Glenister has found this to be looking east along The Highway, London E1 with Ensign Street off to the immediate left and later Wellclose Street. (RL)

A somewhat changed scene over the passage of time. (RL)

Inspector Parry is directed to Restaurant Prague. The Rio Café at 9 Ensign Street on the corner of Grace's Alley E1.

The same corner. (PW)

The Accordion Player (Colyn Davies) crosses the road outside the restaurant to where the Inspector is waiting. Facing south on Ensign Street.

Behind the parked vehicles stand the same buildings. (PW)

Just before 8 o'clock, Slavik arrives at the restaurant where he works as a kitchen porter. The Rio Café on Ensign Street with the corner of Grace's Alley to the extreme left. The café was the Royal Standard public house until the 1940s.

No pub or café now. (PW)

When Slavik is taken in for questioning, the illegal immigrant explains that he ran from Grace's room after finding her body. Grace's Alley in Stepney with Wellclose Square in the background.

The school pins the location down. (PW)

Inspector Parry returns to Miss Sutton's lodgings. Wellclose Square with numbers 20 and 21 to the left and the entrance to Grace's Alley in the right background.

Grace's Alley lies beyond the trees. (PW)

At the docks, the Inspector and his Detective Sergeant (Robin Wentworth) ask a Stevedore (Guy Mills) where they can find Mrs. Fenton's son Bill. Richard Lovejoy identifies this as the travelling crane on the river side of the London & Continental Wharf on St. Katherine's Way E1.

Some of the cranes have been retained as 'memorabilia' in Docklands, but not those. (RL)

Suspicious about Fenton's answers to their enquiries, the two Officers leave the quayside. The passageway runs between Carron Wharf and the London & Continental Wharf on St. Katherine's Way, located by Richard Lovejoy.

A car drives the Detectives back to Scotland Yard. Richard Lovejoy found St. Katharine's Way E1 looking towards what was the British & Foreign Wharf, now known as Millers Wharf, and, to the right, part of Matilda House.

The 'Pest Control' van certainly managed to control this shot for me. (RL)

Later that evening, two Policeman on the beat come upon a van without lights parked outside a tobacconists. Hardinge Street E1 with the corner of Lake Street visible beyond the bridge carrying the railway from Shadwell station. The location is also seen in 'Burnt Evidence', 'Full Circle' and 'River Beat'.

Same bridge, different train. (PW)

While the Officers investigate inside the building, Bill Fenton (Tom Clegg) and his accomplice Smith (Bill Nagy) run to their van. Hardinge Street outside the shop on the corner of Thirza Street.

Thirza Street has long disappeared. (PW)

After the injured Shopkeeper is found, a radio call goes out for police patrols to stop the van and detain the occupants. Facing south on Garnet Street E1, looking across the bridge over the link between Shadwell New Basin and the Eastern Dock of the London Docks with Riverside Mansions on Milk Yard visible to the top left.

Preserved industrial engineering, still able to cope. (RL)

The van speeds towards the docks. The Highway, London E1 looking west, the white building is on the corner with Solander Street. (RL)

Panning with the vehicle until it passes from sight, the camera stops on this view featuring cranes in the right background. The Highway, London E1 looking south towards Eastern Dock with Seven Star Alley to the immediate left of capture. (RL)

A patrol car begins to follow Fenton and Smith. Looking along Redmead Lane towards Wapping High Street in E1 with Hermitage Wall on the left.

The bend in the shortened wall can still be made out. (PW)

A lorry approaches from the opposite direction. Redmead Lane with the high walls of Hermitage Basin as the backcloth.

Beyond the fence is a replacement wall. (PW)

Avoiding the lorry, Fenton collides with a lamp post. The corner of Redmead Lane and Hermitage Wall

Now a bend rather than a junction. (PW)

As Smith is apprehended by the Lorry Driver, Fenton makes a run for it. Ray Glenister finds Fenton running from Redmead Lane, about to pass the ruins of 17/19 Hermitage Wall as we look towards Colonial Wharf on the south side of Hertitage Wall. (RL)

Next morning, Fenton mingles with Dockers as they head into work. Ray Glenister finds us once again at the passage between Carron Wharf and London & Continental Wharf only this time looking NE towards Hermitage Basin. (RL)

Whilst a little too far to the right the full scene would only have been trees. (RL)

After Smith explains where Fenton might be, the Detective Sergeant arrives on the ship where the wanted man is handing over cash for his passage. Ray Glenister finds us at St. John's Wharf, Wapping High Street, London E1 looking across to Rotherhithe and to the right Globe Wharf. (RL)

Fenton makes a bid for freedom after being cornered by Detectives. Some detective work by Ray establishes Victoria and Albert Docks, South Entrance Basin, North Woolwich. (RL)