''Naked Fury'' (U.S. title: ''The Pleasure Lovers''
) is a 1959 British
second feature ('B') crime thriller directed by
Charles Saunders and starring
Reed De Rouen,
Kenneth Cope
Kenneth Charles Cope (14 April 1931 – 11 September 2024) was an English actor and scriptwriter. He was best known for his roles as Marty Hopkirk in '' Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)'', Jed Stone in ''Coronation Street,'' Ray Hilton in '' ...
and Leigh Madison. It was written by
Guido Coen and
Brock Williams.
Plot
Four criminals attack a night watchman while robbing a warehouse. After kidnapping the daughter of their victim, they hide. One of the robbers falls for their hostage, leading to tension between the thieves, especially when the night watchman succumbs to his injuries.
Cast
*
Reed De Rouen as Eddy
*
Kenneth Cope
Kenneth Charles Cope (14 April 1931 – 11 September 2024) was an English actor and scriptwriter. He was best known for his roles as Marty Hopkirk in '' Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)'', Jed Stone in ''Coronation Street,'' Ray Hilton in '' ...
as Johnny
* Leigh Madison as Carol
*
Arthur Lovegrove
Arthur Lovegrove (15 July 1913 – 7 November 1981) was a British actor and playwright. His comedy ''Goodnight Mrs Puffin'' starring Irene Handl, ran for 3 years in London's West End, from 1961.
Filmography
* ''Noose'' (1948) - Drummer (u ...
as Syd
*
Alexander Field as Vic
*
Tommy Eytle
Thomas Daniel Hicks Eytle (16 July 1926 – 19 June 2007)Wilmer, Val"Tommy Eytle" (obituary) ''The Guardian'', 27 July 2007. Retrieved 3 March 2017. was a Guyanese calypso musician and actor. Although born in Guyana, Eytle's career was based in ...
as Steve
*
Ann Lynn as Stella
* Marianne Brauns as Joy
* Arthur Gross as Tom Parker
*
Redmond Phillips as Inspector Stevens
*
Eric Woodburn
Eric Woodburn (''né'' Eric Melville Reis; 9 March 189425 October 1981) was a Scottish stage, film and television actor. Prior to this he had a long career on the stage and was also a noted baritone singer.
His most important role was as Docto ...
as Frank Hawking
*
Denis Shaw as Captain Horst
Reception
''
Kine Weekly
''Kinematograph Weekly'', popularly known as ''Kine Weekly'', was a trade paper catering to the British film industry between 1889 and 1971.
Etymology
The word Kinematograph was derived from the Greek ' Kinumai ', (to move, to be in motion, to ...
'' wrote: "Hard-boiled melodrama. ... The leading characters take it as well as dish it out; night club divertissement punctuates the rough stuff; and its salutary and spectacular climax is clear proof that crime doesn't pay. Good British 'second'."
''
Picturegoer
''Picturegoer'' was a fan magazine published in the United Kingdom between 1911 and 23 April 1960.
Background
The magazine was started in 1911 under the name ''The Pictures'' and in 1914 it merged with ''Picturegoer''. Following the merge it was ...
'' wrote: "When it comes to crowding a quart into a pint pot, this melodrama wants a bit of beating. Bandits raid a safe, hold an innocent girl hostage, commit murders and are overtaken by retribution, in under the hour."
In ''British Sound Films''
David Quinlan wrote: "Second-feature is better than it sounds, holds the attention."
In ''The British 'B' Film'', Chibnall and McFarlane wrote that it was "a film which takes the trouble to motivate its crooks and doesn't shirk a bleak ending."
In ''The
Radio Times
''Radio Times'' is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules, with other features such as interviews, film reviews and lifestyle items. Founded in September 1923 by John Reith, then general manage ...
Guide to Films'' David Parkinson gave the film 1/5 stars, writing: "As with many other crime capers of the late 1950s, this gives the impression of being a routine TV episode that has had a bit of money thrown at it. Given the utterly misleading title of ''The Pleasure Lovers'' in the USA, this is a sordid little tale about a gang of safe-crackers who are forced to kill a night watchman and kidnap his daughter to make good their escape. Journeyman director Charles Saunders and his willing cast are left high and dry by Brock Williams's desperate script."
References
External links
*
{{Portalbar, 1950s, Film, London
1959 films
British crime thriller films
Films directed by Charles Saunders
Films shot at Associated British Studios
1950s English-language films
1950s British films
Films scored by Edwin Astley