''Escape Route'' is a 1952 British black-and-white

second feature A B movie, or B film, is a type of cheap, low-budget commercial motion picture. Originally, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, this term specifically referred to films meant to be shown as the lesser-known second half of a double feature, s ...

thriller film Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre. ...

, directed by

Seymour Friedman Seymour Friedman (August 17, 1917 – April 2, 2003) was an American film director. He later worked as a production manager in television. Friedman began his career as an assistant director, before enlisting for military service following America ...

and

Peter Graham Scott Peter Graham Scott (27 October 1923 – 5 August 2007) was an English television producer, television and film producer, television director, film director, Film editing, film editor and screenwriter. He was one of the producers and directors wh ...

, and starring

George Raft George Raft (né Ranft; September 26, 1901 – November 24, 1980) was an American film actor and dancer identified with portrayals of gangsters in crime melodramas of the 1930s and 1940s. A stylish leading man in dozens of movies, Raft is remembe ...

Sally Gray Constance Vera Browne, Baroness Oranmore and Browne (''née'' Stevens; 14 February 1915 – 24 September 2006), commonly known as Sally Gray, was an English film actress of the 1930s and 1940s. Her obituary in ''The Irish Times'' described he ...

and Clifford Evans. The film was released in the USA as ''I'll Get You'' (not to be confused with an earlier Raft film, ''

I'll Get You for This ''I'll Get You for This'' (released in the USA as ''Lucky Nick Cain'') is a 1951 British thriller film by Joseph M. Newman starring George Raft, Coleen Gray, and Enzo Staiola. It was made from an adaptation by George Callahan and William R ...

'' (1951)).

Plot

An American, Steve Rossi, enters Britain by slipping past immigration at

Heathrow Airport Heathrow Airport , also colloquially known as London Heathrow Airport and named ''London Airport'' until 1966, is the primary and largest international airport serving London, the capital and most populous city of England and the United Kingdo ...

, leading to a national

manhunt Manhunt may refer to: Search processes * Manhunt (law enforcement), a search for a dangerous fugitive * Manhunt (military), a search for a high-value target by special operations forces or intelligence agencies Social organisations * Manhun ...

by the police led by

Scotland Yard Scotland Yard (officially New Scotland Yard) is the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police, the territorial police force responsible for policing Greater London's London boroughs, 32 boroughs. Its name derives from the location of the original ...

. Rossi heads into London where he tracks down Bailey, a barman, and asks him about Michael Grand. The barman passes him a note with an address which leads him to a woman, who says she does not know Grand. She agrees to change Rossi's US currency and buy him a coat while he waits in her flat. For money, she gives him another address: Kingston House, a swanky block of flats on Kingston Road. He takes a taxi there and meets Joan Miller who acknowledges it is Grand's flat, saying she is his secretary and he is not there. She claims that Grand is not going to return, but calls Grand who agrees to meet. Rossi wants to stay put in Grand's flat but Joan pulls a gun on him and together they drive to an old terraced house where Wilkes starts quizzing Rossi. Rossi says that Grand offered him a job, working on aircraft design. Joan is asked to accommodate Rossi in her own flat. Meanwhile the police post Rossi's picture in all the newspapers and quiz various underworld figures to try to locate him. The taxi driver recognises the picture. Joan Miller is revealed to be an

MI5 MI5 ( Military Intelligence, Section 5), officially the Security Service, is the United Kingdom's domestic counter-intelligence and security agency and is part of its intelligence machinery alongside the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), Gov ...

agent. Rossi reveals himself to be an

FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...

agent posing as a nuclear scientist in an attempt to infiltrate a gang kidnapping western scientists and taking them across the

Iron Curtain The Iron Curtain was the political and physical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1991. On the east side of the Iron Curtain were countries connected to the So ...

. Grand has recently arranged the kidnap of an American. With MI5's assistance, Rossi monitors Grand and arranges a meeting with him. Growing increasingly suspicious of Rossi, Grand and his organisation make several attempts to kill him. Rossi and Joan follow Grand's assistant Irma Brookes, in an attempt to find him. Brookes and a body with some of Grand's ID is found in a burned-out car. Rossi is caught and taken to

Hammersmith Hammersmith is a district of West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It is the administrative centre of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, and identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. It ...

Police Station. It is explained that Rossi wanted to get into the papers so that Grand would be aware of his presence. Rossi cannot identify the body in the mortuary as Grand as he is unsure of his appearance. Grand is finally revealed when Max, another taxi driver, informs him of what he has seen both at the burning car and near the mortuary. Rossi dons a naval uniform and tails Grand on foot through empty streets in the city, leaving a chalk trail of markers for Joan to follow. Grand goes to the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, s ...

where the low tide allows him to walk along the edge. They end up at the Old Swan Pier near

London Bridge The name "London Bridge" refers to several historic crossings that have spanned the River Thames between the City of London and Southwark in central London since Roman Britain, Roman times. The current crossing, which opened to traffic in 197 ...

. Grand pulls a gun and a scuffle begins. Grand escapes to a rooftop of a grain elevator close to

The Monument The Monument to the Great Fire of London, more commonly known simply as the Monument, is a fluted Doric column in London, England, situated near the northern end of London Bridge. Commemorating the Great Fire of London, it stands at the junc ...

. They end up fighting on an external freight lift heading back to the ground. Rossi wins and the police arrive.

Cast

as Steve Rossi *

as Joan Miller * Clifford Evans as Michael Grand *

Frederick Piper Frederick Piper (23 September 1902 – 22 September 1979) was an English actor of stage and screen who appeared in over 80 films and many television productions in a career spanning over 40 years. Piper studied drama under Elsie Fogerty at the ...

as Inspector Reid *

Reginald Tate Reginald Tate (13 December 1896 – 23 August 1955) was an English actor and a veteran of many roles on stage, in films and on television. He is remembered best as the first actor to play the television science-fiction character Professor ...

as Colonel Wilkes * Patricia Laffan as Irma Brookes * June Ashley as beauty shop attendant *

John Warwick John McIntosh Beattie (some sources give Beattle) (4 January 1905 – 10 January 1972), known professionally as John Warwick, was an Australian actor and television dramatist. who was also active in the United Kingdom. He was born at Bellinge ...

as Security Chief Brice *

Roddy Hughes Rhodri Henry Hughes (19 June 1891 – 22 February 1970) was a Welsh theatre, film and television actor, who appeared in over 80 films between 1932 and 1961. Selected filmography * '' Mr. Bill the Conqueror'' (1932) * '' Reunion'' (1932) * '' Sa ...

as porter *

Grace Arnold Grace Arnold (19 September 1894 – 26 February 1979) was an England, English actress. Selected filmography * ''Guilt (1931 film), Guilt'' (1931) * ''Men Without Honour'' (1939) - Mrs. Hardy * ''Crimes at the Dark House'' (1940) - Maid (uncred ...

as neighbour *

Cyril Chamberlain Cyril Chamberlain (8 March 1909 – 30 April 1974) was an English film and television actor. He appeared in a number of the early '' Carry On'', '' Doctor'' and '' St. Trinian's'' films. Chamberlain's first film appearance was in the 1936 Mich ...

as Bailey * Howard Douglas as taxi driver *

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 Phillips * Anthony Pendrell as Rees *

Norman Pierce Norman Pierce (5 September 1900 – 22 March 1968) was a British actor. He was born in Southport, Lancashire. He died in Helions Bumpstead, Essex, England on 22 March 1968 at the age of 67. He played pub landlords and barmen in a number of d ...

as Inspector Hobbs *

Harry Towb Harry Towb (27 July 1925 – 24 July 2009) was an actor from Northern Ireland. Early life and career Towb was born in Larne, County Antrim, to a Russian-Jewish father and an Irish-Jewish mother; he once claimed he was the only Jew ever born i ...

as Immigration Officer

Production

The film was made at

Walton Studios Walton Studios, previously named Hepworth Studios and Nettlefold Studios, was a film production studio in Walton-on-Thames in Surrey, England.on location around London, mostly in the

City of London The City of London, also known as ''the City'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county and Districts of England, local government district with City status in the United Kingdom, city status in England. It is the Old town, his ...

, at a time when there was still much bomb damage from the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. American actress

Coleen Gray Coleen Gray (born Doris Jensen; October 23, 1922 – August 3, 2015) was an American actress. She was best known for her roles in the films '' Nightmare Alley'' (1947), '' Red River'' (1948), and Stanley Kubrick's '' The Killing'' (1956). ...

was reported to have been cast opposite Raft, but the role was eventually played by the English star

. It was one of several films made by British companies in connection with the low-budget American outfit

Lippert Pictures Lippert Pictures was an American film production and distribution company controlled by Robert L. Lippert. History Robert L. Lippert (1909–1976) was a successful exhibitor, owning a chain of movie theaters in California and Oregon. He was frust ...

, which distributed the film in the United States. It was made on a larger budget than most Lippert releases.

Critical reception

Monthly Film Bulletin The ''Monthly Film Bulletin'' was a periodical of the British Film Institute published monthly from February 1934 until April 1991, when it merged with '' Sight & Sound''. It reviewed all films on release in the United Kingdom, including those wi ...

'' said "This is a poor imitation of an American type second-feature thriller, lacking originality, punch and even credibility, and ending with a near-ludicrous chase through deserted dockland." ''

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 ...

'' said "The picture takes the longest route to its spectacular ending, but budding romance helps to colour the padding. Towards the end there is a sensational sequence in which two charred bodies are discovered in a burnt-out car and this sets the mood for the big scrap climax, and rovides additional compensation for rambling reliminaries. A lively finisher, and topical at that, the thriller unquestionably has popular appeal." The ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

'' said the film was "so mysterious" the filmmakers "almost succeeded in keeping the story to themselves." ''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'' gave the film 2/5 stars, writing: "George Raft gives a fair impression of a man who has had his arms welded to his sides in this dismissable quickie thriller. One of the handful of films Raft made in Europe after his Hollywood fortunes dipped, it's a lightweight affair."

Leslie Halliwell Robert James Leslie Halliwell (23 February 1929 – 21 January 1989) was a British film critic, encyclopaedist and television rights buyer for ITV, the British commercial network, and Channel 4. He is best known for his reference guides, '' Fi ...

said: "A moderate co-feature, as unremarkable as its plot." In ''British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959'' David Quinlan rated the film as "mediocre", calling it: "Slow and hardly credible." Chibnall and McFarlane in ''The British 'B' Film'' wrote: "The film made outstanding use of London locations from the West End to docklands, but the suspense was not augmented by the emotional monotone of Raft's performance, which was as wooden as his floating namesake."

References

External links

*
''Escape Route''
a
ReelStreets

Review
at ''Variety'' {{Seymour Friedman 1952 films 1950s spy thriller films British spy thriller films British black-and-white films Cold War spy films Films directed by Peter Graham Scott Films directed by Seymour Friedman Films shot at Nettlefold Studios Films set in London Films shot in London 1950s English-language films 1950s British films English-language spy thriller films Films scored by Hans May