Beyond This Place (1959 film)

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Beyond This Place
Beyond This Place 1959 poster.jpg
UK release poster
Directed by Jack Cardiff
Written by Ken Taylor
Based on Beyond This Place
by A. J. Cronin
Produced by Maxwell Setton
John R. Sloan
Starring Van Johnson
Vera Miles
Emlyn Williams
Bernard Lee
Cinematography Wilkie Cooper
Edited byErnest Walter
Music by Douglas Gamley
Distributed by Renown Pictures
Release date
  • 18 October 1959 (1959-10-18)
Running time
90 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

Beyond This Place (released in the United States as Web of Evidence) is a 1959 British crime mystery film based on the 1950 novel of the same title by A. J. Cronin. [1] It was directed by Jack Cardiff and stars Van Johnson and Vera Miles. [2]

Contents

Plot

The opening credits roll over images of a father playing with his young son in a wood and sailing a toy yacht on a pond. We then jump to Liverpool during the Blitz in the Second World War. A woman (it is implied she is a prostitute) tells a man she is pregnant, then he goes home to see his wife and children. The police arrive at his door and ask what he knows of the murder of the prostitute.

The story jumps to 1959 and the man's son (Paul) is sailing back into Liverpool "to clear things up". He is shocked when a local shopkeeper tells him that Mr Oswald saved his father's life: "that is why he wasn't hanged... for the murder". He knows nothing of any of this.

He heads to the library and starts reading through old newspapers from 1941. Eventually he finds "Liverpool Girl Murdered: Man Questioned". He then finds an article linked "Man Charged". The librarian has to usher him out as the library closes.

When he eventually gets to the core of the story it appears that the police have covered the truth. But when he goes to see his father in prison at the point of release he is deeply disappointed in his character: he wants whisky and a prostitute as soon as possible. Paul says he is ashamed of him. [3]

But Paul is determined to help him, and the film ends on a hopeful note.

Cast

Web of Evidence lobby card.jpg

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References

  1. Goble, Alan (8 September 2011). The Complete Index to Literary Sources in Film. Walter de Gruyter. ISBN   978-3-11-095194-3.
  2. "Beyond This Place (1959)". BFI.
  3. "Web of Evidence (1959) – Jack Cardiff | Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related". AllMovie.