''Night Without Pity'' is a 1961 British

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

Theodore Zichy Count Theodore Béla Rudolf Zichy de Zich et Vásonkeő (; 13 June 1908 – 30 December 1987) was a British actor, photographer, film director, producer and Playboy (lifestyle), playboy of Hungarian descent. Early life Born in Eastbourne in Suss ...

and starring Sarah Lawson, Neil McCallum, Alan Edwards and Michael Browning.

Plot summary

Crooks O'Brien and Randall break into Diana Martin's home to steal her husband's factory keys. Diana is alone with her small son, who, frightened by the intruders, falls from his bedroom window and is concussed. Diana agrees to hand over the keys if she can phone a doctor. O'Brien stays while Randall goes to rob the factory. When the doctor arrives he tries to overpower O'Brien, but he is knocked unconscious. Meanwhile, Randall has got the loot and decided to doublecross O'Brien and flee. O'Brien forces Diana to drive after him. When Randall stops at a garage he and O'Brien fight, but when O'Brien has defeated him Diana threatens O'Brien with his own gun until the police arrive.

Cast

* Sarah Lawson as Diana Martin * Neil McCallum as O'Brien * Alan Edwards as Randall *

Dorinda Stevens Dorinda Stevens (16 August 1932 – 25 October 2012) was a British television and film actress of the 1950s and 1960s. Biography Stevens was born Doreen May Stevens in Southampton, the daughter of and Winifred (née Lucas). During World W ...

as girlfriend *Michael Browning as Philip *

Patrick Newell Patrick David Newell (27 March 1932 – 22 July 1988) was a British actor perhaps best known for playing Mother in '' The Avengers''. Early life and education The second son of Eric Llewellyn Newell, of High Lodge, Hadleigh, Suffolk, an Oxf ...

as doctor *

Beatrice Varley Beatrice Evelyn Varley (11 July 1896 – 4 July 1964) was an English actress who appeared in television and film roles between 1936 and 1964. She made her screen debut in the 1936 film ''Tomorrow We Live'' and began to portray a variety of ...

as mother *

John Moulder-Brown John Moulder-Brown (born 3 June 1953) is an English actor, known for his appearances in the films '' The House That Screamed'' (1969), '' Deep End'' (1970), '' First Love'' (1970) and '' Ludwig'' (1973). Biography Moulder-Brown was born in Lo ...

as Geoffrey Martin *

Brian Weske Brian Weske (23 December 1932 – 15 October 2001) was a British film and television actor, singer, and songwriter. He was born in Stockwell, London, England and died in London, England aged 68. He married Italian actress and Italian translator sp ...

as Arthur *

Vanda Godsell Nancy Evelyn Orchard (Birth name, née Godsell, formally Selway; 17 November 1922 – ), known professionally as Vanda Godsell, was an English actress. With a career that spanned 46 years, she was best known for her role as Katie Heenan in the B ...

as tart

Critical reception

The 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: " A weak script – which strains credulity even on the level of melodrama – crudely realised in cramped settings melodrama" ''

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: "The story is close to events that have happened and the small-time crooks are typically base and inefficient, but neither the scriptwriter nor the director have paid enough attention to probability and the plot is badly frayed with loose ends. Some tension is created when the housewife is threatened by the crooks, but it is dissipated by interpolated shots of the husband playing gin rummy with his old mum, and of subsidiary and largely non-essential characters in a sleazy, all-night café. The acting is a cut above the story. "

References

External links

* 1961 films 1961 crime films British crime films 1960s English-language films 1960s British films English-language crime films {{1960s-crime-film-stub