''A Gunman Has Escaped'' is a 1948 British second feature ('B')

crime film Crime film is a film belonging to the crime fiction genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and fiction. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine with many other genres, such as Drama (film and television), dr ...

directed by Richard M. Grey and starring

John Harvey John Harvey may refer to: People Academics *John Harvey (astrologer) (1564–1592), English astrologer and physician *John Harvey (architectural historian) (1911–1997), British architectural historian, who wrote on English Gothic architecture a ...

Maria Charles Maria Zena Schneider (22 September 1929 – 21 April 2023), known professionally as Maria Charles, was an English film, television and stage actress, director and comedienne. She was probably best known for her performance as the overbearing mot ...

and Jane Arden. It was written by

John Gilling John Gilling (29 May 1912 – 22 November 1984) was an English film director and screenwriter, born in London. He was known for his horror film, horror movies, especially those he made for Hammer Films, for whom he directed ''The Shadow of the ...

and Joyce Cairns.

Plot

Soho gang members Eddie, Sinclair and Bill rob a jeweller's shop, and on leaving the premises shoot a passer-by who gets in their way. They flee to the countryside and find temporary work from Cranston, a farmer. Bill falls for Cranston's daughter Jane. When he hears on the radio that their shooting victim has died, Eddie panics, steals the Cranstons' car and forces Bill and Sinclair to go with him. While hiding in woods the three men fight and Sinclair is shot dead by Eddie while running away. Bill escapes from Eddie and makes his way back to the gang's hangout. Eddie arrives shortly afterwards and thinking his girlfriend Goldie has betrayed him to the police, shoots her. Eddie and Bill fight over the gun, the police then arrive and Eddie, knowing it is all over, turns the gun on himself.

Cast

as Eddie Steele * John Fitzgerald as Sinclair * Robert Cartland as Bill Grant * Ernest Brightmore as Johnson * Maria Chrles as Goldie * Patrick Westwood as Red * George Self as Spike * Manville Tarrant as Alf * Denis Lehrer as Mike * Jane Arden as Jane * Frank Hawkins as Mr. Cranston * Hope Carr as Mrs. Cranston * Melville Crawford as Inspector Fenton * Hatton Duprez as detective

Production

It was shot at the

Maida Vale Studios Maida Vale Studios is a complex of seven BBC sound studios, of which five are in regular use, in Delaware Road, Maida Vale, west London. It has been used to record thousands of classical music, popular music and drama sessions for BBC Radio 1, ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

and released by the

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States * Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...

distributor

Monarch Film Corporation The Monarch Film Corporation was a British film distribution company active during the 1940s and 1950s. It specialised in supplying second features to British cinemas. The company handled a mixture of British and American films, as well as the Aust ...

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: "John Hervey has no difficulty in suggesting the cowardly gunman as Eddie and John Fitzgerald and Robert Cartland are effective in contrast as Sinclair and Bill. The film is modestly staged and none of its players is well known, but it nevertheless clearly illustrates the psychology of the killer and puts a real kick into its salient situations and salutory climax." ''The Daily Film Renter'' wrote: "Killer melodrama follows desperate exploits of Soho gangsters on run after jewel hold-up. Straightforward story particularly well acted. English farm sequences have unusual interest. Excitement sometimes weakened by wordy dialogue, but tough shooting situations compensate. Useful popular support." '' Picture Show'' wrote: "Convincing crime melodrama showing how mutual distrust brings about the undoing of three men concerned in theft and murder, There are some somewhat brutal sequences but it is lightened by sardonic humour."

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gunman Has Escaped 1948 films 1948 crime films British crime films Films set in London Films shot in London 1940s English-language films 1940s British films English-language crime films