User Reviews

I awarded this film 7/10 and am sad that none of the heritage vintage film TV channels have not seen fit to transmit this superb b&w film.For someone like me born in 1946 the scenes of early 1950s London have a resonance as I can remember the old cars Britain used to manufacture like the "Riley", tube trains with air vents at the side, police officers with helmets standing on street corners and of course the prices of commodities pre-inflation.

The users above have satisfactorily described the plot.Each of the gaol-birds are tempted upon their release to re-offend and part of the interest is seeing how they deal with temptation as it comes their way, whether to take up again with her criminal boyfriend (Yvonne Mitchell), whether to carry on being a Soho prostitute (Joan Collins) or hope to establish normal family relations and curtail her shoplifting habit (Kathleen Harrison).The most poignant scene for me was when Kathleen Harrison is run over and killed while her beloved dog "Johnie" then walks the streets alone and owner-less.Yvonne Mitchell her gaol-bird colleague then becomes "Johnie's" new owner after her worthless ex-boyfriend (Terence Morgan) gets his just deserts.

This was a well produced and directed film which should be seen more often on t.v.Do today's film t.v.channels think it would not attract remunerative advertising revenue to air gems like this?I am obviously not in the target socio-economic advertising group at 69 years of age!

This was one of a number of films made at this time arising out of shared experiences of institutions.There were films about Borstal s,Prisons,schools,department stores and police station.In this film we follow the lives of 3 ex women prisoners on the day of their release.The main story is that of Yvonne Mitchell and Terrance Morgan,then there is Joan Collins and finally Kathleen Harrison.The first story is far and away the best and supplies the main climax to the film.Mitchell wants to go straight but is inveigled into a robbery by Morgan.She manages to escape and leave him to his fate.Collins is a good time girl who is enticed into her old ways,probably prostitution,by her old friends.She is going to marry a bus conductor would you believe.Her acting is absolutely awful,and her attempt to speak with a cockney accent is laughable.Can anyone believe a Joan Collins character happily married to a bus conductor.the third story concerns the reliable Kathleen Harrison and her dog Johnny.This is a real shaggy dog story and really the worst of the bunch and which leads to a very contrived finale. The most interesting part of this film is the location work and to be reminded of the way London was in the 50s.Incidentally Collins is shown outside the Leicester Square Theatre,now the Odeon West End.On Tuesday the vandals at Westminster agreed to its demolition so that yet another hotel could be built there.Shame on them.

Beautifully photographed by Geoffrey Unsworth and imaginatively directed by Jack Lee, this splendidly acted drama is a triumph for all concerned. Production values, including a marvelously staged action climax, are absolutely first class. Admittedly, some may find the music score by Mischa Spoliansky a little too sentimental for film noir, but I thought it totally appropriate. Directing 2nd units on actual locations was a Jack Lee specialty, so it comes as no surprise here to see real locations employed to such advantage. Film editor Lito Carruthers has also done a marvelous job. The editing is as taut as a circus high wire. Lito was born in Greece, but came to England as a child. Educated at the Convent of Sion, she joined the film industry as an assistant in the London production office for Fire Over England (1937). During the Second World War, she served her apprenticeship in the cutting rooms of Ealing Studios, where she cut her first picture, a 45-minute documentary, very appropriately Greek Testament (1942), under the editorial supervision of director Charles Hasse. Beginning with Old Mother Riley Overseas in 1943. Lito edited 26 movies between 1943 and 1960, finishing up with Too Hot To Handle in 1960. I don't know what happened after that. Whether she retired, died, got married? It would be nice to know. She was a really top film editor. First rank.

Being confined to barracks because of the coronavirus crisis, and restricted to Freeview here in the UK, I wasn't expecting much from this mid-afternoon feature on Talking Pictures. But what a surprise! Rarely have I been so captivated by a story about three women being released from prison. We have posh girl Monica (Yvonne Mitchell) who's just done a stretch for her worthless cat burglar ex. Then we have Stella (Joan Collins) banged up for soliciting. Finally there is aged Mrs Quilliam, a serial shop lifter. All are looking forward to getting out. Monica offers to treat them all to a meal at a swanky restaurant later in the day in order to review how things have turned out. As they leave prison Stella is met by dependable fiance Bob, in his bus conductor uniform, much to her annoyance. But her future is hopeful. He has arranged to marry her and gives her some money to find a room for herself in the meantime. Monica drops on her feet. A pal lets her stay at her flat and she quickly gets a job by being straight about her prison record. In the meantime Mrs Quilliam gets back to her dingy bedsit to be reunited with Johnnie, her beloved mongrel. The narratives jump back and forth. Stella walks through the West End and meets up with some of her streetwalker pals. Missing the luxuries of life she foolishly blows her rent money on a pair of garish earrings. Monica returns to the flat to find ex-boyfriend David waiting outside. She tells him to get lost but he sweet talks her into having lunch wth him. Clearly Monica didn't watch many 1950s British thrillers. If Terence Morgan is your boyfriend - Watch out! Bravely she tells him, "You think you can still twist me round your little finger!" And then lets him do just that; ending up in bed! Mrs Quilliam visits her daughter who is ashamed of her and makes her feelings quite plain. So she starts to find her way to the West End for the free meal on offer. Stella does likewise. Hoping to tap Monica for funds. David in the meantime tells Monica he will pick her up at the restaurant for a theatre date, which he does, denying Stella her opportunity. However, a passing half-drunk city gent provides a lifeline. Earlier he mistakenly thought he'd made a date with Monica. So Stella simply steps in, suggesting she is going back to her old ways. Arriving at the theatre, Monica gets a shock. David rushes her upstairs to the roof and locks the door. She realises he intends to rob an adjoining office and he wants her to keep a lookout. She is trapped, but once David has clambered over the parapet she finds the key in his coat pocket and escapes. The commissionaire notices the open door and sees the crime taking place. Raising the alarm the place is soon swarming with police and a thrilling rooftop chase ensues, ending with David's arrest, not his death. Monica slips away disillusioned. Elsewhere things take a dark turn. Mrs Quilliam loses Johnnie while in a pub. Frantically she searches the unfamiliar streets. Eventually she sees him. Joyously she runs across the road into the path of a oncoming car, and is killed. Meanwhile Stella is completing the intoxication of her client in another pub, but begins to regret her actions. Coincidentally the man also loses interest but says he doesn't like her vulgar earrings and tells her to take some money from his wallet to buy a decent pair. Reconversion complete, she takes just the right amount and places the wallet and the earrings in his pocket. Meeting Bob, she explains she hasn't had time to sort out a room, but that they can do it now. As they walk away together you know that's the happy ending. In another part of London, Monica stumbles homeward, coming across the scene of Mrs Quilliam's accident. As the body is removed she takes Johnnie's lead and walks him away. Togther they may find some consolation for their losses. The three narratives certainly fill out the 81 minutes running time. And the principals give value for money. As do the supporting cast of well known character actors like Thora Hird, Geoffrey Keen and Hilda Fenemore. Grimy, smoky post-war London is shown to great advantage. And, for transport buffs, the first fifteen or so minutes are a treat. As the women venture into the outside world again they are assailed by traffic. Majestic London trolleybuses glide by. Ironically pollution-free in the most polluted city in the World at the time. Dozens of old British cars and trucks rumble past in the dirty streets. And there's a copper on duty at every street corner. Wonderful!

If you remade it you would have to update it but the basic story is very good.

3 women of varied ages and backgrounds are released from jail on the same day.

I think the director's best known film was A Town Called Alice and nowadays that is not well known for some reason.

This film has some great performances especially from the beautiful Yvonne Mitchell.

She was in quite a few films but not well known nowadays I think.

The film features some excellent use of London locations,mostly in the West End I think.

This film is so much better than the majority of British films made in the 1950s.