You are here:

Little Red Monkey

Name: Little Red Monkey
Director: Ken Hughes
Released: 1955
Duration: 71 min

Representation Score

0.5/10

Minimal

1955

Director

Ken Hughes

Runtime

71 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

Little Red Monkey is a product of its era, functioning as a Cold War-era political thriller. The narrative structure is built upon the geopolitical tensions of the mid-1950s, focusing on the movement of intellectual capital between the USSR and the West. The film reinforces existing power structures rather than challenging them. It adheres to the established cinematic hierarchies of the period, prioritizing state security and the anxieties of the atomic age. Ultimately, the film reflects mid-century social and institutional hierarchies, centering on male-dominated spheres of authority and Western-centric perspectives.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does Little Red Monkey have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film follows a traditional espionage plot focused on state actors. There is no evidence of non-traditional gender identities or narratives that challenge the assumption that everyone is straight or cisgender.

How does Little Red Monkey portray gender?

Limited

Men dominate the key roles in institutions like Scotland Yard and the US State Department. Female characters seem to play minor roles in the central scientific and political conflicts.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Little Red Monkey?

Minimal

The setting and geopolitical focus suggest a predominantly white, Western-centric framework. The narrative centers on Anglo-American and Soviet dynamics typical of 1950s crime cinema.

How does Little Red Monkey represent religion and culture?

Limited

The story emphasizes Western institutionalism through its focus on state security. It engages with the Soviet 'other' primarily to highlight the protection of Western scientific assets.

Does Little Red Monkey include disability representation?

Minimal

The narrative lacks any indication of characters with visible or invisible disabilities. There is no focus on neurodivergence or physical impairment within the plot.

Present on Screen

Offers a clear insight into the geopolitical anxieties and state-security concerns of the 1950s Cold War era.

Limited or Absent

Lacks representation of diverse gender identities, racial backgrounds, or characters with disabilities.
Maintains a narrow, male-dominated perspective regarding institutional authority and scientific leadership.
Reinforces a Western-centric worldview that treats non-Western entities primarily as geopolitical subjects.

Official Synopsis

Several murders of nuclear scientists, that baffles Scotland Yard, occur in London around the same time that Bill Locklin, a special officer from the United States State Department, arrives to oversee the transfer of Professor Leon Dushenko, a Russian scientist who has fled the USSR. An attempt on Dushenko's life is made with a monkey's paw-print found at the scene.

How are these scores produced? →