The Fake (1953)
You might give this a try if you really like lightweight entertainment with only a shred of suspense. There is a lot of chitchat, and a hint crime drama, not the other way around. When there is a fistfight, it isn't convincing, and when love is in the air, it hovers and never lands.
So really we have a fairly routine movie with some larger intentions. It's very British for the period. It almost feels like a wan play the way the action is worked into small scenes and lots of talk. And to be honest, parts of it are just so implausible it makes the whole enterprise wobble.
At heart is a painting in a London museum (the Tate) that is in danger. This attracted me as an art historian, and I was curious in part to see the museum, and the supposed security at the time. The key figure is an unlikely American who wanders into the plot, half the time carrying a precious painting in one hand as if it was a valise. Meanwhile, a robbery is under way and no one seems to notice. People wander the hallowed halls of the museum at all hours and nothing much is suspected. An intruder is discovered in the dead of night—but how did he get there, and is it enough to shout, "Hey you!" How about sounding an alarm or calling the police?
So that's the upshot. Leading man Dennis O'Keefe seems to be a William Holden wannabe, and Colleen Gray as his female counterpart is a hair more believable but not especially compelling. The cinematography is routine, and script a bit forced. In all, it's a struggle to appreciate much here.
The verdict? Not a great movie on any level.