The Man Who Wouldn't Talk (1958 film)

Last updated

The Man Who Wouldn't Talk
"The Man Who Wouldn't Talk" (1958).jpg
UK 1-sheet poster
Directed by Herbert Wilcox
Written by Edgar Lustgarten
Story byStanley Jackson
Produced byHerbert Wilcox
Starring
Cinematography Gordon Dines
Edited byBasil Warren
Music by Stanley Black
Production
company
Herbert Wilcox Productions (as Wilcox-Neagle)
Distributed by British Lion Film Corporation (UK)
Release date
  • 21 January 1958 (1958-01-21)(UK)
Running time
97 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Budget£127,582 [1]

The Man Who Wouldn't Talk is a 1958 British drama film directed by Herbert Wilcox, starring Anna Neagle, Anthony Quayle, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Dora Bryan, John Le Mesurier and Lloyd Lamble. [2] [3] It was written by Edgar Lustgarten from a story by Stanley Jackson.

Contents

Plot

A courtroom drama, it sees an American scientist charged by the British police for his supposed role in the death of a secret agent who had been posing as his wife.

Cast

Critical reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "Coldly efficient in direction, the film suffers most from the lifelessness of the meticulous script. The attention given to legal procedure is, it must be admitted, exact and authoritative; but motivation is generally rather hazy, and the predicament of the central character is rather incredible. Anna Neagle is in fine form, however, as Britain's foremost Queen's Counsel, and carries off her big courtroom speech with impassioned determination." [4]

TV Guide wrote, "the screenplay was written by writers well versed in litigation, so the courtroom scenes have a strong sense of realism. The performances are convincing, though marred by several characters who don't fit in the plot." [5]

The Radio Times wrote, "courtroom dramas have an intrinsic appeal, and veteran producer/director Herbert Wilcox makes a moderately entertaining film out of this story in which Anthony Quayle's American scientist, accused of murder, refuses to testify in his own defence. Wilcox's wife, Anna Neagle, gives another of her great lady portraits as Britain's leading Queen's Counsel, demonstrating her deductive brilliance in spotting a bullet hole in a witness's window pane and her oratorical skills in a dramatic five-minute courtroom address." [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zsa Zsa Gabor</span> Hungarian-American socialite and actress (1917–2016)

Zsa Zsa Gabor was a Hungarian-American socialite and actress. Her sisters were socialites and actresses Eva Gabor and Magda Gabor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anna Neagle</span> English stage and film actress and singer (1904–1986)

Dame Florence Marjorie Wilcox, known professionally as Anna Neagle, was an English stage and film actress, singer, and dancer.

<i>The Sandwich Man</i> (1966 film) 1966 British film by Robert Hartford-Davis

The Sandwich Man is a 1966 British comedy film directed by Robert Hartford-Davis starring Michael Bentine, with support from a cast of British character actors including Dora Bryan, Harry H. Corbett, Bernard Cribbins, Diana Dors, Norman Wisdom, Terry-Thomas and Ian Hendry. It was written by Hartford-Davis and Bentine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Herbert Wilcox</span> Film producer and director from Britain

Herbert Sydney Wilcox CBE was a British film producer and director.

<i>Derby Day</i> (1952 film) 1952 British film by Herbert Wilcox

Derby Day is a 1952 British drama film directed by Herbert Wilcox and starring Anna Neagle, Michael Wilding, Googie Withers, John McCallum, Peter Graves, Suzanne Cloutier and Gordon Harker. An ensemble piece, it portrays several characters on their way to the Derby Day races at Epsom Downs Racecourse. It was an attempt to revive the success that Neagle and Wilding had previously enjoyed on screen together. To promote the film, Wilcox arranged for Neagle to launch the film at the 1952 Epsom Derby.

<i>These Dangerous Years</i> 1957 British film by Herbert Wilcox

These Dangerous Years is a 1957 British drama musical film directed by Herbert Wilcox and starring George Baker, Frankie Vaughan, Carole Lesley, Thora Hird, Kenneth Cope, David Lodge and John Le Mesurier. It was written by Jack Trevor Story,

<i>The Lady Is a Square</i> 1958 British film by Herbert Wilcox

The Lady Is a Square is a black and white 1958 British comedy musical film directed by Herbert Wilcox and featuring Anna Neagle, Frankie Vaughan and Janette Scott.

<i>Nell Gwyn</i> (1934 film) 1934 British film

Nell Gwyn is a 1934 British historical drama film directed by Herbert Wilcox and starring Anna Neagle, Cedric Hardwicke, Jeanne de Casalis, Miles Malleson and Moore Marriott. The film portrays the historical romance between Charles II of England and the actress Nell Gwyn. In the opening credits, the dialogue is credited to "King Charles II, Samuel Pepys and Nell Gwyn" with additional dialogue by Miles Malleson. It was also released as Mistress Nell Gwyn.

<i>Limelight</i> (1936 film) 1936 British film

Limelight is a 1936 British musical film directed by Herbert Wilcox and starring Arthur Tracy, Anna Neagle and Jane Winton. It was released in the U.S. as Backstage.

<i>Piccadilly Incident</i> 1946 British film

Piccadilly Incident is a 1946 British drama film directed by Herbert Wilcox and starring Anna Neagle, Michael Wilding, Coral Browne, Edward Rigby and Leslie Dwyer. It was written by Nicholas Phipps based on a story by Florence Tranter.

<i>Maytime in Mayfair</i> 1949 British film

Maytime in Mayfair is a 1949 British musical romance film directed by Herbert Wilcox and starring Anna Neagle, Michael Wilding, Nicholas Phipps, and Tom Walls. It was a follow-up to Spring in Park Lane.

<i>Trents Last Case</i> (1952 film) 1952 British film by Herbert Wilcox

Trent's Last Case is a 1952 British detective film directed by Herbert Wilcox and starring Michael Wilding, Margaret Lockwood, Orson Welles and John McCallum. It was produced by Wilcox as part of a distribution agreement with Republic Pictures. It was based on the 1913 novel Trent's Last Case by E. C. Bentley, and had been filmed previously in the UK with Clive Brook in 1920, and in a 1929 US version.

<i>Three Maxims</i> 1936 British film

Three Maxims is a 1936 British drama film directed by Herbert Wilcox and starring Anna Neagle, Tullio Carminati and Leslie Banks. It was released in the United States under the alternative title The Show Goes On. Separate French and German language versions were filmed 1935 in Paris. The film's sets were designed by Wilcox's regular art director Lawrence P. Williams.

<i>The Heart of a Man</i> 1959 British film by Herbert Wilcox

The Heart of a Man is a 1959 British drama film directed by Herbert Wilcox and starring Frankie Vaughan, Anne Heywood and Tony Britton. A millionaire in disguise gives a young man money to help him pursue his singing career.

<i>Drop Dead Darling</i> 1966 British-American film by Ken Hughes

Drop Dead Darling is a 1966 British-American black comedy film directed by Ken Hughes and starring Tony Curtis, Rosanna Schiaffino, Lionel Jeffries and Zsa Zsa Gabor.

<i>Peg of Old Drury</i> 1935 British film

Peg of Old Drury is a 1935 British historical film directed by Herbert Wilcox and starring Anna Neagle, Cedric Hardwicke and Margaretta Scott. The film is a biopic of 18th century Irish actress Peg Woffington. It was based on the play Masks and Faces by Charles Reade and Tom Taylor. It contains passages of 18th century Shakespearian performance, from The Merchant of Venice, Richard III and As You Like It.

Those Who Love is a 1929 British sound part-talkie drama film directed by H. Manning Haynes and starring Adele Blanche, William Freshman and Carol Goodner. The film was promoted as having two full reels of synchronized dialogue or talking sequences. In addition to the talking sequences, the film also featured a synchronized musical score with sound effects and English intertitles. The film was based on the novel Mary Was Love by Guy Fletcher. Anna Neagle made her debut in the film, playing a small part.

<i>No Time for Tears</i> (film) 1957 British film by Directed by Cyril Frankel

No Time for Tears is a 1957 British drama film directed by Cyril Frankel in CinemaScope and Eastman Color and starring Anna Neagle, George Baker, Sylvia Syms and Anthony Quayle. It was written by Anne Burnaby and Frederix Gotfurt. The staff at a children's hospital struggle with their workload.

<i>The Lady with a Lamp</i> 1951 film by Herbert Wilcox

The Lady with a Lamp is a 1951 British historical drama film directed by Herbert Wilcox and starring Anna Neagle, Michael Wilding and Felix Aylmer. The film depicts the life of Florence Nightingale and her work with wounded British soldiers during the Crimean War. It was shot at Shepperton Studios outside London. Location shooting took place at Cole Green railway station in Hertfordshire and at Lea Hurst, the Nightingale family home, near Matlock in Derbyshire. The film's sets were designed by the art director William C. Andrews. It is based on the 1929 play The Lady with a Lamp by Reginald Berkeley.

<i>My Teenage Daughter</i> 1956 British film Herbert Wilcox

My Teenage Daughter is a 1956 British drama film directed by Herbert Wilcox and starring Anna Neagle, Sylvia Syms and Norman Wooland. The screenplay concerns a mother who tries to deal with her teenage daughter's descent into delinquency. It was intended as a British response to Rebel Without a Cause (1955). It was the last commercially successful film made by Wilcox.

References

  1. Chapman, J. (2022). The Money Behind the Screen: A History of British Film Finance, 1945-1985. Edinburgh University Press p 359
  2. "The Man Who Wouldn't Talk". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  3. "The Man Who Wouldn't Talk (1957) - BFI". BFI. Archived from the original on 11 June 2016.
  4. "The Man Who Wouldn't Talk". The Monthly Film Bulletin . 25 (288): 36. 1 January 1958. Archived from the original on 9 May 2024. Retrieved 9 May 2024 via ProQuest.
  5. "The Man Who Wouldn't Talk". TVGuide.com. Archived from the original on 9 May 2016. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
  6. Allen Eyles. "The Man Who Wouldn't Talk". RadioTimes. Archived from the original on 14 May 2016. Retrieved 18 April 2016.