Patrick Holt robs a jewelry store. He is quickly caught and sentenced to prison. He escapes with his cellmate and they make their way to London's docklands, where they join Robert Ayre's gang. Henchman Michael Brennan suspects him, but Ayre's girlfriend, Sandra Dorne, decides she likes Holt. It turns out Mack is right; Holt is an undercover copper, out to infiltrate and break up the gang.It's a taut little second feature as Holt tries to do his job while Brennan slowly finds grounds for his suspicions, with some nice interludes with Sonia Holm (Holt's real wife at the time) and Dora Bryan as a gossipy neighbor. It's got some beautiful photography, shot by producer-cinematographer Monty Berman. He and co-producer Robert Baker would later strike gold with the TV series THE SAINT.

13 EAST STREET is a low budget British crime film made by the popular team of Monty Berman and Robert Baker, and directed by Baker himself in this instance. The script was written by the prolific John Gilling, who rarely seems to have taken the time to sit down during his busy career in film. The fast-paced story has many twists and turns throughout, a fair few of which are quite obvious, but there are so many ingredients in the plot that it's never slow or boring. The imposing Patrick Holt plays a failed burglar who concocts a daring prison break with a fellow convict. The two manage to escape and soon join up with a criminal gang who are planning their next big break-in. However, some characters have mysterious motivations, and as always, women seem to get in the way.This is a short and serviceable thriller that sees a solid cast going through the motions. Holt is always fine as hero or villain and does well here. The thoroughly likable Michael Balfour is great value as the fellow con and the scene of them escaping from the prison wagon is one of the best in the movie. Sandra Dorne is an appealing femme fatale in the genteel British tradition while Dora Bryan is fun as the nosy neighbour. Robert Ayres's chief bad guy could do with being a bit more nasty, but Michael Brennan is fine as a real thuggish fellow. 13 EAST STREET is hardly electrifying viewing but I enjoyed it enough nonetheless.

This is that old chestnut of the police officer supposedly committing a crime so that he can be sent to prison in order to associate with the right kind of person.Mind you it is stretching things a bit that he would go into a jewelers waiving a gun about.Nowadays they are regarded as agents provocateurs and end up getting sued.I agree with the previous reviewer about the sights of London in 1951'I actually remember and there were lots of bomb sites all over the place particularly in the East End.Prudential worked in a partly bombed building.There are just so many actors and situations.However Dora Bryan stands out as a nosy neighborly.

even pretend Yanks like Michael Balfour who in "13 East St" can't seem to make up his mind what side of the Atlantic his bread is buttered on. Robert Ayres was never off the TV in the early 50s,as a P.I. or a cop on loan to Scotland Yard,but this time his is an American deserter running a dodgy transport company employing ex - cons that is infiltrated by an undercover cop who has proved his credentials the hard way by doing an armed robbery and going down for it. Banged up with Mr Balfour he easily impresses his cellmate and during a convenient "ghosting" to another prison the pair escape and join Ayres's little "firm". Despite the distractions of a moll (Miss S Dorne,suitably diverting) and a not very bright ex - con who will recognise him at any minute,our hero succeeds in eventually bringing the gang to justice. This was 1951(the G.R. on the police van gives it away as pre - 1952) the year of the Festival of Britain,the RFH and the South Bank. Nobody thought of undercover copper as Agents Provocateurs misleading the vulnerable and they just got on with it. Read "Ghost Squad" by John Gosling or anything about Chief Inspector Bob Fabian to get a taste if the times. These were tough men doing tough jobs and "13 East St" is a tough film for its era when being non - judgmental was for wimps. It has echoes of the much better - known " The Blue Lamp" with its landscapes of bombsites and run - down apartment blocks. Crisply shot in black and white with the requisite cast of cockney characters,it is very much a portrait of English society still recovering from a world war and an age of real austerity when "cutting down" didn't mean getting rid of one of your cars.