''Black Memory'' is a 1947 British

crime film Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combi ...

directed by

Oswald Mitchell Oswald Albert Mitchell (1890 - April 27, 1949) was a British film director who directed several of the Old Mother Riley series of films.

and starring Michael Atkinson, Myra O'Connell and

Michael Medwin Michael Hugh Medwin, OBE (18 July 1923 – 26 February 2020) was an English actor and film producer. Life and career Medwin was born in London. He was educated at Canford School, Dorset, and the Institute Fischer, Montreux, Switzerland. He f ...

. It featured the first screen appearance of

Sid James Sidney James (born Solomon Joel Cohen; 8 May 1913 – 26 April 1976) was a British actor and comedian whose career encompassed radio, television, stage and screen. He was best known for numerous roles in the Carry On film series. Born to a mi ...

, known for the ''Carry On'' films. Also making her film acting debut in ''Black Memory'' was the Welsh-born actor, playwright, screenwriter and film director Jane Arden.

Premise

When his father is wrongly convicted and hanged for murder, son Danny poses as a juvenile delinquent, and ten years later manages to clear his father's name.

Cast

* Michael Atkinson as Danny Cruff * Myra O'Connell as Joan Davidson *

as Johnnie Fletcher *

(credited as Sydney James) as Eddie Clinton * Frank Hawkins as Alf Davidson * Jane Arden as Sally Davidson * Winifred Melville as Mrs. Davidson * Michael Conry as Carl Broach * Betty Miller as Mrs. Cruff * Arthur Brander as Rutford *

Gerald Pring Gerald Pring (1888 – 1970) was a British stage and film actor. He played a number of supporting roles in British and American films during the silent and sound eras. In 1930 he appeared in the West End in the comedy '' Almost a Honeymoon''.We ...

as Hawkins, the headmaster * Valerie Hulton as Miss Philpotts * Maurice Nicholas as Johnnie, as a boy * Malcolm Sommers as Danny, as a boy

Critical reception

TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program TV listings, listings information as well as entertainment and television-related news. The company sold its print magazine division, TV Guide Magazine, TV Guide Mag ...

'' wrote: "Weak story, poor dialog; everyone's just kiddin' around"; while ''Mystery File'' wrote: "it’s only in bits and pieces and occasional places that the plot rises above the purely pedestrian. If I were

Leonard Maltin Leonard Michael Maltin (born December 18, 1950) is an American film critic and film historian, as well as an author of several mainstream books on cinema, focusing on nostalgic, celebratory narratives. He is perhaps best known for his book of f ...

, the best I could give this movie would be 1½ stars out of five and I still think I’d be just a little bit generous if I did. Nonetheless, its historical significance is high, so I was glad to have had the opportunity to have seen it, and you may too."

References

External links

* 1947 films British crime films British black-and-white films 1947 crime films Films directed by Oswald Mitchell 1940s English-language films 1940s British films {{1940s-UK-film-stub