Scotland Yard Investigator

Von Stroheim is superb as an obsessed art collector who, through faked papers, gets his hands on what he thinks is the Mona Lisa but really is an expert forgery. Meanwhile, the original is held by Harvey, who wants to sell the painting back to its museum for a profit. On both their trails is museum curator Smith whose reputation depends on recovering the canvas. Von Stroheim leaves a trail of corpses which the authorities follow to his private gallery where he had hoped to hang the Mona Lisa. An average British crime thriller which is saved by all-around sterling performances.