Never Look Back (film)

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Never Look Back
Never Look Back (film).jpg
Directed by Francis Searle
Written by John Hunter
Guy Morgan
Francis Searle
Produced by Michael Carreras
Starring Rosamund John
Hugh Sinclair
Guy Middleton
Henry Edwards
Cinematography Reginald H. Wyer
Edited byJohn Ferris
Music byTemple Abady
Production
company
Distributed by Exclusive Films
Release date
  • 26 May 1952 (1952-05-26)
(UK)
Running time
73 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

Never Look Back is a 1952 British second feature ('B') [1] drama film directed by Francis Searle and starring Rosamund John, Hugh Sinclair and Guy Middleton. [2] [3] The screenplay concerns a newly appointed female barrister whose career is threatened by a former lover. [4] It was made by Hammer Films at the Mancunian Studios in Manchester. [1] [5] This was Michael Carreras' first film as a producer, and he brought the film in right on schedule. Filming began Sept. 17, 1951, and it was trade shown at the Rialto on March 19, 1952. It opened at the Odeon on May 26, and did rather poorly, mainly due to the film's lack of recognizable name actors. From this time on, Hammer tried to make sure that each film they produced featured at least one well-known actor. [6]

Contents

Plot

Anne Maitland is a newly-appointed King's Counseller. She receives an unexpected late-night visit from ex-boyfriend Guy Ransome. When Ransome is later accused of murdering his mistress on the same night, Anne takes on his defence. In a court battle against Nigel Stewart, a barrister who is madly in love with her, Anne clears Ransome of murder by disclosing her intimate relationship with him, and stating that he was staying in her flat on the night of the crime. However, when it is discovered that Ransome did indeed commit the murder, Anne's reputation is left in tatters. However, her professional failure enables her to marry Stewart, who is no longer a professional threat to her. [7]

Cast

Critical reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "To outline the story is to emphasise its weakness and improbability. On the screen, however, it has been made to seem quite plausible and improves as it progresses, with a convincing court scene, The tempo, though, is too slow to sustain excitement." [8]

Kine Weekly wrote: "The characterisation and atmosphere are quite good, and smooth presentation gives its neat, if slightly theatrical, plot validity and penultimate punch." [9]

TV Guide gave the film two out of four stars, and wrote, "the British legal system is invested with enough romantic drama to rival a soap opera in this intriguing thriller." [10]

In British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959 David Quinlan rated the film as "average", writing: "Contrived thriller with a good climax; first half pretty slow." [11]

References

  1. 1 2 Chibnall, Steve; McFarlane, Brian (2009). The British 'B' Film. London: BFI/Bloomsbury. p. 80. ISBN   978-1-8445-7319-6.
  2. ↑ "Never Look Back". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  3. ↑ "Never Look Back". BFI. Archived from the original on 13 January 2009.
  4. ↑ "Never Look Back". RadioTimes.
  5. ↑ "Never Look Back". www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk. Archived from the original on 14 December 2014.
  6. ↑ Johnson, Tom (1996). Hammer Films: An Exhaustive Filmography. North Carolina: McFarland. p. 70. ISBN 0-7864-0034-X.
  7. ↑ Steve Huey (2016). "Never-Look-Back - Trailer - Cast - Showtimes - NYTimes.com". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times . Archived from the original on 6 March 2016.
  8. ↑ "Never Look Back" . The Monthly Film Bulletin . 19 (216): 66. 1 January 1952. ProQuest   1305817161.
  9. ↑ "Never Look Back" . Kine Weekly . 420 (2335): 20. 27 March 1952. ProQuest   2732583021.
  10. ↑ "Never Look Back". TV Guide . Archived from the original on 5 March 2016.
  11. ↑ Quinlan, David (1984). British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959. London: B.T. Batsford Ltd. p. 351. ISBN   0-7134-1874-5.
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