ENGLISH STARLET JOY WEBSTER CHANNELS 'STORMY CROSSING'

Joy Webster and John Ireland in BLACK TIDE/STORMY CROSSING 1958 Rates: ***

It's been a joy discovering British starlet Joy Webster who, throughout the British New Wave, specialized in flirtatiously rejected skanks: twice in Hammer Films... THE TWO FACES OF DR. JEKYLL as pimpish Oliver Reed's shunned nightclub girl while she's not even good enough for him in a CURSE OF THE WEREWOLF brothel. And in-between she's shunned in a strip joint by both Brian Weske and David McCallum in JUNGLE STREET...

But before all that she was taken seriously, and admired... for a little while... as a fashion model turned amateur swimmer set to cross the English Channel with an American jock whose brother, played by American Import John Ireland... who sporadically stares onto the gorgeous Channel stock footage... has second thoughts about the entire idea...

Joy Webster as Kitty Tyndall in Stormy Crossing aka Blake Tide

And eventually he alone (not counting a contrived ingenue) tries figuring out if Joy's drowning death was actually murder after his brother's suspicions vanishes him as well...

Making STORMY CROSSING part Sport Melodrama part Crime Thriller that's lack of thrills is made up for by interesting dialogue and a surrounding cast of British characters ranging from a token villain to inspector. It's just too bad that Joy (actually a jilted lover attempting blackmail) didn't last longer. Although she IS the most important character, living or dead, there needed an actual/palpable focal point. And being sexy helps.  

Young swimmers Sheldon Lawrence and Joy Webster in STORMY CROSSING

Joy Webster shunned by Brian Weske in JUNGLE STREET

Joy Webster dances with the title character(s) in The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll

Joy Webster and Oliver Reed in The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll

Sheldon Lawrence and Joy Webster (finally treated nicely in a nightclub) in Black Tide

Joy Webster treated badly by David McCallum in Jungle Street with Fred Griffiths

Joy Webster and Julie Shearing in Jungle Street with Fred Griffiths

Leslie Dwyer and Joy Webster in STORMY CROSSING

Nice girl Maureen Connell in STORMY CROSSING

Maureen Connell in STORMY CROSSING with Leslie Dwyer & Joy Webster

STORMY CROSSING with Leslie Dwyer & Joy Webster

STORMY CROSSING with Leslie Dwyer & Joy Webster

STORMY CROSSING starring American import actor John Ireland

Joy Webster in STORMY CROSSING aka DARK TIDE

Joy Webster's deserves credit for STORMY CROSSING

PROOF the actual title is STORMY CROSSING