''Urge to Kill'' is a 1960 British

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 ...

serial killer film directed by

Vernon Sewell Vernon Campbell Sewell (4 July 1903 – 21 June 2001) was a British film director, writer, producer and, briefly, an actor. Sewell was born in London, England, and was educated at Marlborough College. He directed more than 30 films during his c ...

and starring

Patrick Barr Patrick David Barr (13 February 1908 – 29 August 1985) was an English actor. In his career spanning over half a century, he appeared in about 144 films and television series. Biography Born in Akola, British India in 1908, Barr was educat ...

Ruth Dunning Ruth Dunning (17 May 1909 – 27 February 1983), born Mary Ruth Dunning, was a Welsh actress of stage, television, and film. Although her year of birth was long given as 1911, her birth was registered in Holywell in 1909. Early life Mary Ruth ...

and Terence Knapp. The screenplay was by James Eastwood based on the 1942 novel ''Hughie Roddis'' and 1944 play ''Hand in Glove'', both by Gerald Savory.

Plot

While making her way home from the cinema one night in a particularly grey and drab town, a young woman is murdered in an unusually brutal and sadistic manner. Local suspicion immediately falls on Hughie, a strangely behaved and not very bright local youth who has a habit of wandering aimlessly around the town at all hours randomly collecting stray bits and pieces, with a particular fondness for broken glass – which unfortunately for Hughie happens to have been one of the weapons used in the fatal attack. Hughie lives in the lodging house run by his aunt, along with a selection of boarders including a kindly elderly gent with a penchant for Bible-bashing and a smooth-talking ladies' man. Hughie is questioned by the police, but Superintendent Allen releases him as there is no firm evidence against him. A few days later another girl is killed in the town, and the locals make up their minds that Hughie is responsible and launch a witch-hunt against him. Believing the police are failing to do their job properly, they start issuing death threats against him after gathering in the pub to discuss the case, and the front window of the lodging house is put through by a large rock. Again, Allen's instincts tell him that Hughie is basically a harmless if odd soul, and is not responsible for the killings. Allen starts to look more closely at other individuals connected to Hughie, in the belief that somebody is going out of their way to set him up. While the townsfolk continue their vendetta, Allen quietly observes and finds his attention focussed on a likely suspect. He shadows the individual as he walks the streets of the town one night and catches the guilty party almost in the act, narrowly saving another young woman from a murderous attack.

Cast

as Superintendent Allen *

as Auntie B. * Terence Knapp as Hughie * Howard Pays as Charles Ramskill * Anna Turner as Lily Willis * Christopher Trace as Sgt. Grey * Wilfrid Brambell as Mr. Forsythe * Margaret St. Barbe West as Mrs. Willis *

Yvonne Buckingham Yvonne Buckingham (born 1937) is an English actress who appeared in a number of minor or background roles on episodes of British television series or in British films. She played the title role, though only briefly appearing as the deceased vi ...

as Gwen *

Rita Webb Olive Rita Webb (25 February 1904 – 30 August 1981), later known as Olive Rita Thompson, was an English character actress, mainly in comedy roles. She was the eldest child of Henry Augustus Webb (1880–1926) and Rose Jeannette Keysor. She had ...

as charwoman * Laura Thurlow as Jenny * Ken Midwood as Sergeant Brigs * Brian O'Higgins as Curly Latham * Margaret McGrath as Alice * David Lander as Harris * David Browning as uniformed inspector

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 potentially horrific theme is treated with little sensationalism. In fact both script and direction often have an air of the respectable village dramatic society about them. Howard Pays' sinister lines are heavily stressed for all to recognise them and most of the action takes place in one living-room where people are always popping in and out. The dialogue tends to repeat the obvious, the motivation for the second crime is ambiguous, and the errors that betray the killer are unbelievably blatant and inconsistent with his earlier cunning. Terence Knapp gives a sympathetic and convincing performance in the better constructed part of Hughie, the simpleton." ''

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 script eschews subtlety, but cast and director play upturned aces and court cards skilfully and temper suspense with human interest. ...Howard Pays registers as the schizophrenic Ramskill ; Terence Knapp excrcises restraint as the jibbering, though harmless, Hughie; Ruth Dunning has her moments as Auntie B; and Patrick Barr is most professional as Allen. There is little comedy relief, but the domestic asides are quite touching, and the finale Is tense."

References

External links

*
''Urge to Kill''
at BFI Film & TV Database {{DEFAULTSORT:Urge To Kill 1960 films 1960s serial killer films 1960s thriller films British thriller films Films directed by Vernon Sewell British serial killer films British black-and-white films Edgar Wallace Mysteries Films based on multiple works British films based on plays Films based on British novels 1960s English-language films 1960s British films English-language crime films English-language thriller films