Breakout (1959 film)

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Breakout
Breakout (1959 film).jpg
Directed by Peter Graham Scott
Written by Peter Barnes
Based onthe book Breakout by Frederick Oughton [1]
Produced byLeslie Parkyn
Julian Wintle
Starring Lee Patterson
Hazel Court
Terence Alexander
Dermot Kelly
Cinematography Eric Cross
Edited byEric Boyd-Perkins
Production
company
Distributed by Anglo-Amalgamated Film Distributors (UK)
Release date
  • March 1959 (1959-03)
(UK)
Running time
62 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

Breakout is a 1959 British crime drama film directed by Peter Graham Scott and starring Lee Patterson, Hazel Court and Terence Alexander. [2] It was written by Peter Barnes based on the 1959 novel Breakout by Frederick Oughton.

Contents

Plot

Arkwright is a fraudster serving a seven-year prison sentence. He gets word to his contact Chandler that he wants out. Chandler and his partner Farrow contract George Munro to organise the job of springing Arkwright. Munro hatches a plan involving a rigged delivery van.

Cast

Production

The film was shot at Beaconsfield Studios. Location shooting took place in the West End area of Aldershot in Hampshire. The gates of the East Cavalry Barracks on Barrack Road stood in for the prison gates used in the breakout. Other scenes were filmed in Uxbridge.

Critical reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "This moderately tense crime thriller distracts attention from the improbability of the escape preparations by skilful handing of background and detail. Although there is an intermittently successful attempt to build up Monro as a convincing character, the other figures all come from stock." [3]

Picturegoer wrote: "For the sake of British second features, let's hope Lee Patterson never gets into the big-star bracket. Once again, he brings a firm, dramatic assurance to the character of an escape expert engaged to plan the break-out from prison of a confidence trickster. Cleverly contrived and plausibly executed, it's a more-than-usually exciting film. The brisk acting of Patterson, William Lucas, Terence Alexander and Hazel Court skilfully disguises any weakness in the characterization." [4]

Picture Show called the film an: "ingenious thriller", adding "the story calls for action, pace and a good climax and the film has all three. Interesting entertainment." [5]

In British Sound Films David Quinlan called the film a "quite exciting vest-pocket thriller with edgy performances." [6]

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References

  1. ↑ Goble, Alan (1 January 1999). The Complete Index to Literary Sources in Film. Walter de Gruyter. ISBN   9783110951943 – via Google Books.
  2. ↑ "Breakout (1959)". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  3. ↑ "Breakout". Monthly Film Bulletin . 26 (300): 44. 1 January 1960 – via ProQuest.
  4. ↑ "Breakout" . Picturegoer . 37: 20. 18 April 1959 – via ProQuest.
  5. ↑ "Breakout" . Picture Show . 72 (1881): 13. 18 April 1959 – via ProQuest.
  6. ↑ Quinlan, David (1984). British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959. London: B.T. Batsford Ltd. p. 287. ISBN   0-7134-1874-5.
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