Thankfully, Bermudian actor Earl Cameron’s revealing performance adds depth to Johnny. Whenever a slight is directed at Johnny, Cameron’s face turns downcast and his posture sags.

[Director of Photography] Gordon Hines paints a gritty portrait of post-war London, but it's really the stymied sexual tension between Cameron and Shaw which allows Pool of London its key interests.

Like many of the best film noirs, Pool of London manages to sneak something extra into what is primarily a crime film-a tender romance between a Jamaican sailor and a white London woman...

Pool of London has the elements of an average melodrama, but they are never satisfactorily brought together, and the result is a diffuse film, lacking shape and control.