''Jackpot'' is a 1960

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

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 ...

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

Montgomery Tully Montgomery Tully (6 May 190410 October 1988) was an Irish film Film director, director and writer. Film career Born in Dublin, Tully studied at the University of London, and originally entered the film industry as a director of documentaries. ...

and starring

William Hartnell William Henry Hartnell (; 8 January 1908 – 23 April 1975) was an English actor, who is best known for portraying the first incarnation of the Doctor, in the long-running British science-fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' from 1963 t ...

, Betty McDowall and

Eddie Byrne Eddie Byrne (31 January 1911 – 21 August 1981) was an Irish actor. Career His stage work included many appearances with Dublin's Abbey Theatre, and also work with the National Theatre in London. Outside of Ireland, he is probably best k ...

. It was written by Tully and Maurice J. Wilson based on a story by John Sherman.

Plot

An ex-convict learns that his wife is not willing to return to him. He and an accomplice rob the safe in the Jackpot Club. The police and the owner of the club want to track down the robbers.

Cast

as Superintendent Frawley * Betty McDowall as Kay Stock *

as Sam Hare *

George Mikell George Mikell (born Jurgis Mikelaitis; 4 April 1929 – 12 May 2020) was a Lithuanian-Australian actor and writer best known for his performances as Schutzstaffel (SS) officers in '' The Guns of Navarone'' (1961) and '' The Great Escape'' (196 ...

as Carl Stock *

Michael Ripper Michael George Ripper (27 January 1913 – 28 June 2000) was an English character actor who appeared in many British horror and science fiction films. Career Ripper began his film career in quota quickies in the 1930s and until the late 195 ...

as Lenny Lane * Victor Brooks as Sergeant Jacks * Tim Turner as Peter *

Mike Sarne Michael Sarne (born Michael Scheuer; 6 August 1940) is a British actor, singer, writer, producer and director, who also had a brief career as a pop singer in the 1960s. Sarne directed the films ''Joanna (1968 film), Joanna'' (1968) and ''Myra ...

dancer in Lenny's snack bar * Sylvia Davies as Sally (waitress in Lenny's cafe) *

Frank Forsyth Frank Forsyth (19 December 1905 – 2 May 1984), sometimes credited as Frank Forsythe, was an English actor, active from the 1930s. He was born on 19 December 1905 in London, England. He appeared in several TV programmes, including '' Department ...

as Desk Sergeant *

Charles Lamb (actor) Charles Lamb (20 November 1900 – 19 March 1989) was a British stage, film and television actor. Previously an engineer, he made his theatre debut in 1924. His stage work included appearing in the original theatrical production of '' Bright ...

as snack bar customer (uncredited) *

Stanley Meadows Stanley Meadows (born 14 July 1931 in Stepney, London, England) is a retired British film and television actor. Meadows was the son of a shopowner in Stepney Green. He won a scholarship to Forest School, in Epping Forest, and eventually graduate ...

as police telephone wire tapper (uncredited) * Ivan Craig as Dinty *

as Desk Sergeant (uncredited) * Garard Green as Detective Briggs (uncredited) * Brian Phelan as Taffy

Critical 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 ...

'' said: "The picture, slick crime fare, brings to fiction the realism and excitement of fact. William Hartnell looks and lives his part as the hawk-eyed Frawley, Betty McDowall wins sympathy as the frightened Kay, Eddie Byrne convinces as the double-crossing Sam, and George Mikell can’t be faulted as the vicious Carl. Its supporting players, too, register. There is no dallying at the start, sentiment neatly punctuates violence, and the

Arsenal Stadium Arsenal Stadium was a Association football, football stadium in Highbury, London, which was the home of Arsenal F.C., Arsenal Football Club between 6 September 1913 and 7 May 2006. It was popularly known as "Highbury" from the name of the di ...

climax is both salutary and showmanlike." ''

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 ...

'' wrote: "Though very routine in conception and treatment, this little crime thriller is at any rate slickly done. Taut from the word go, the climax at Arsenal Stadium during a floodlit football match is also more resourceful than the average B-picture finale. William Hartnell is largely wasted in a somewhat inconspicuous part; but most of the supporting players register, particularly Victor Brooks as a Detective Sergeant on the case."

References

External links

* 1960 films 1960s English-language films 1960 crime films British crime films Films directed by Montgomery Tully 1960s British films English-language crime films {{1960s-crime-film-stub