User Reviews

What started out as a typical police pursuit ended up as a Gothic nightmare with eerie dream sequences, obviously a homage to those "Gainsborough Gothic" style movies that were so popular in Britain after the war.

Jamie is on the run from a robbery gone wrong, even in the first few seconds his cowardly nature is revealed as he takes off, leaving his partners in crime stranded on the bank steps, when he hears a police whistle. He quickly travels up north to visit his taciturn Uncle Kit (Patrick Holt) on his farm in a remote little community. From a few small scenes - disregarding a "Close the Gate" sign, mishandling a horse, big noting himself at the pub to pilfering the till at the garage where he has managed to find work because of his dexterity with cars - a picture is painted of a scheming lout who the audience has no sympathy for. Suddenly Linda appears, his wife he says and for once he is not lying but she is as pretty and decent as Jamie is sly and calculating.

Once Elizabeth Sellars steps out of the car and is captivated by the wild, vast landscape, the focus of the film changes. She was a fresh, young film face whose ethereal look was used to advantage here and with scenes showing her compassion for an injured dog or a cow having a difficult birth, she fits right into the farming life. Linda's arrival doesn't phase Jamie who has just started seeing the local rich, bad girl Betty (Lana Morris started out in the 1940s with plenty of promise but spent the 1950s in Bs) and has already stolen funds to show her a good time. Linda finds him stealing money from Kit's safe and stands up to him - things get physical and Jamie is accidentally killed. The rest of the movie turns into a guilt ridden manifesto. Kit and Linda already have feelings for each other and together they try to wipe the crime from the face of the earth. Linda's guilty conscience arises in a series of dreams where she is running through the church-yard, falling into the abyss and standing against craggy rocks and there is a nightmarish, Gothic quality about them. Then Jamie's mother turns up...............

Peter Reynolds who played the cowardly Jamie unfortunately died at 45 in a flat fire. He had moved to Sydney, Australia in the early 1970s and was a fixture of the small screen in shows like "Boney", "Division 4", "The Rovers", "Barrier Reef" and "Homicide".

Bad boy Peter Reynolds has a back story - would be getaway driver who panics and leaves his companions to be caught bang to rights outside the bank. Unusually this important bit of action with which the film starts never comes back to bite him nor play any further part. He instead swans off to Devon to cadge lodgings from his rather estranged bachelor shotgun-toting uncle who though surly nevertheless does the decent thing.Something Reynolds does not reciprocate, casually thieving from all who put any trust in him. An unexpected visitor in form of an attractive young woman (Elizabeth Sellars) arrives who he mistreats, giving great offence to his uncle. The bad boy departs the scene, leaving just the young woman remaining with the uncle. Later another unexpected visitor, an older woman arrives and joins the two. The situation, for good reasons, is exceedingly uncomfortable indeed impossible for all three.

Beautifully shot on location, it is a pleasure to watch. The story is perhaps old-fashioned, resembling in outline at least a Victorian novel particularly the stiff-upper lipped decent rather taciturn uncle. But it is 1950 and rural rather than city ways so is believable. However modern viewers evidently find the moral dilemmas tiresome and the lack of violent action (spoiler alert - the shotgun is neither fired nor even brandished) in consequence boring. But if you see through the eyes of the participants, it is quite gripping at times and end completely believable.

A young farmer called Kit Ferguson (Patrick Holt) leads an idyllic life on his farm situated on the outskirts of the picturesque village of Walford in the Devon countryside. But, he finds his life turned upside down when his lay about nephew Jamie (Peter Reynolds) turns up looking for a place to lie low following his involvement in a botched bank robbery back in London. Things are complicated further by the arrival of Jamie's wife Linda (Elizabeth Sellers) whom he treats abominably seeing other women behind her back. Things come to a head after Jamie spends an entire night with Betty (Lana Morris), steals money from his boss's till and then raids Kit's money box to replace it. When Linda confronts him he attacks her and she accidentally kills him with a candlestick she used to defend herself. Kit is falling in love with Linda and she with him, but after he disposes of Jamie's body in an old mine shaft Linda struggles to come to terms with what she has done and hide her guilt. Can she and Kit begin a new life together or will the gossiping and inquisitive villagers twig what has happened and see them get caught? Then, Jamie's mother (Avice Landone) arrives at the farm asking to see her son...

This rarely seen (until recently) romantic psychological thriller is notable for its leading men, Patrick Holt and Peter Reynolds, two very capable actors but who lacked star quality to elevate them to the front rank and they soon became relegated to supporting roles and 'B' pictures. This must have been one of Holt's biggest roles, which he plays really well and his character's romantic involvement with the good natured Linda whom was put upon and neglected by her villainous husband Jamie does stir the emotions. Reynolds, who tragically died quite young, is perfectly cast as the latter in a role that typifies the shady and slimy villains he would play in many quota quickies throughout the fifties and sixties. It is Elizabeth Sellers, however, who steals the acting honours with her superb portrayal of Linda. The way in which she plays the lovely, good natured girl who accidentally kills her husband adds much dramatic tension to the proceedings. Her guilt increasingly consumes her until she finally breaks with tragic consequences for all concerned that is guaranteed to leave you with a lump in your throat. It is beautifully shot in b/w by cinematographer William McCleod who makes full use of the well chosen Devon locations and director Roy Kellino stages one or two admirable suspense sequences. They include a nightmare sequence in which Linda finds herself in a creepy, misty graveyard pursued by the ghostly figure of her dead husband who drives her off a cliff top into the sea hundreds of feet below, which as it happens is the only way out of the place.

GUILT IS MY SHADOW is a low rent British crime drama that fails thanks to the writing, in particular the character of Jamie played by Peter Reynolds. Jamie is the film's protagonist and gets way too much screen time considering that his obnoxious character is one of the most annoying ever; the viewer has to sit through scenes and scenes of him treating everybody like dirt, while the warm and sympathetic characters as played by Patrick Holt and Elizabeth Sellars don't get as much of a look in.

The story's rural setting (it was filmed in Devon) is an interesting one. Jamie is a getaway driver who escapes the heat to live at his uncle's place, but he's soon getting involved in petty crime. The arrival of his wife complicates things. This is quite a slow paced story but it does pick up with a murderous twist later on. The acting is generally of a strong standard and there are bit parts for Esma Cannon and Desmond Llewelyn. A pity that the ending is prohibited by the usual moral constraints of the era as it ends on a very downbeat and depressing note.

Guilt is my Shadow is one of those 1950s B &W British B movies that suffers from all the usual pitfalls of their type - zero character development, irrational, perfunctory dialogue, and over-the-top melodrama. An early scene sets the tone: good guy farmer Kit (Patrick Holt, in a foreshadowing of Peter Finch as the unemotionally stiff farmer Boldwood) returns to his remote Devon farm one day to find a complete stranger (Peter Reynolds, as unremittingly immoral crook on the run Jamie) sitting at his table helping himself to a meal. The ensuing conversation - 'Who are you?' 'I'm your nephew Jamie' 'Oh well, you better stay here then' - is a foretaste of what's to come, and highlights a common problem of the B movie of its day. In order to speed the plot along, there is no time for characters to show any normal curiosity about anything, so the abnormal passes unquestioned. Jamie, despite 'travelling in these parts' has no luggage, nor any kind of explanation for his sudden appearance miles from his London home, but no matter, the plot must prevail. That night in the local pub Jamie is offered a job in a local garage by a man he's just met, and who is about to be robbed by him (Jamie cheats on just about everyone he meets). Everything seems the wrong way round: local femme fatale (Lana Morris) speaks with a Knightsbridge accent, whilst Jamie's ill-treated London wife Linda (Elisabeth Sellars) seems to know all about farming when she turns up, having somehow tracked him down, and the seasonal continuity is all over the place, the action appearing to start in summer before moving backwards into springtime, complete with new lambs and nesting birds. To be on the safe side from this unpredictable climate the men wear heavy winter overcoats, whilst Kit (with his private knowledge of country ways) is in shirtsleeves throughout, while Jamie, having jumped on a train straight from a failed heist, arrives dressed as any getaway driver would be in a suit, collar and tie. Even the days seem shorter than normal - Jamie arrives at the farm in bright daylight, but, minutes later, gets ready for bed. Poor Elisabeth Sellars - who deserves better - has to spend most of the film (once she has accidently bumped off the ne'er do well to end all ne'er do wells, Jamie) as the mother of all utterly helpless damsels in distress, crying and collapsing, and putting her hand over her face, like in a silent movie, and saying things like 'Why, oh why?' and other drivel, and not only has to fall downstairs, but can't even manage an out of place dream sequence without tripping over in a graveyard and tumbling backwards over a precipice. She does at least have time to temporarily wander into a different film altogether when on a shopping trip in the village she inexplicably gets followed by a sinister man (who then disappears) into what appears to be the local cathedral, complete with portentous heavenly choir soundtrack, before running away when a clergyman mysteriously shows himself. When she returns to meet Kit he asks, without any reason to, 'What happened?' to which she might have replied 'I saw another, more interesting, film being made nearby and thought I'd take a look.' Kit and his new love (yes, of course. they have fallen for each other, keep up!) have buried Jamie's body so that Linda can carry on falling over, and he can get on with his wood-whittling, but their peace is disturbed by the sudden appearance of Kit's sister, and Jamie's mother, Eva, looking for her son. 'You better stay here', Kit says, as the solitary bedroom is not yet full enough, having explained that Jamie is 'away.' Eva is okay with this virtually one-word rationale until Linda gives the game away whilst in post-falling down stairs hysteria, and then Eva is sad for a moment, sadness in this film being indicated by the character not saying anything, and pretending they are doing Ingmar Bergman. The police arrive, and Kit will never whittle again. It's patent nonsense and I loved it.

Shifty crook, Jamie (Peter Reynolds), driver of the getaway car for a London bank robbery, drives off when he sees that the robbery has gone wrong. He ends up at his uncle's remote Devon farm where he tends to abuse the cold hospitality offered. After obtaining work at a garage in the local village, he chats up the easy middle class 'tart', Betty (Lana Morris), stealing from Kit, his uncle (Patrick Holt), to treat her, and himself. He receives a telegram from his wife, Linda (Elizabeth Sellars), to say that she is on her way down by train, and persuades his uncle, who had not known he was married, to let her stay at the farm. As there is only one bed, Kit agrees to sleep in the barn whilst Jamie is able to sleep more comfortably, with his wife, in Kit's bed. After a bad start, Kit and Linda get on well with each other, whilst selfish Jamie continues lying, stealing and his liaison with Betty

One evening, Jamie meets up with his girlfriend, thieving from his employer's till to cover 'expenses'. The following day, Linda discovers him stealing from Kit's 'safe' in order to repay his employer. A struggle ensues, ending with Linda protecting herself with a heavy candlestick, accidentally killing her husband. She confesses to Kit who buries Jamie's body near the blocked entry to a disused tin mine. To all intents and purposes, Jamie has gone away, and eventually Kit and Linda's relationship develops into love, fuelling gossip in the village. Suddenly Jamie's mother, Kit's sister, arrives to see how her son is, but Linda's guilt overcomes her and she suffers concussion falling downstairs. In this state, she thinks the local doctor is her late husband, and the doctor hears her saying Jamie's name and that she had killed him. The police arrive the following morning, tipped off by the doctor, and whilst they are searching the old mine shaft, Kit explains all to his sister, who, although disappointed and saddened, will not say anything to the authorities. The police find nothing but, as they are leaving, Linda asks them to stay, and the film ends with us anticipating that Kit and Linda will tell them the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth! So help me - not a bad film to while away half a wet afternoon.

Purely for local interest - the 'village' locations were mainly filmed in East Street, Ashburton, Devon. Tillingham's garage was situated between 'The Golden Lion' and 'The Red Lion' at the top of the hill. The stone 'folly' on the opposite side of the road, at the junction with Roborough Lane, is still there, and was probably a water trough for horses, or for washing clothes. One scene, filmed at the junction of North Street, looking up East Street, shows part of the Bank where I worked in the early 1960s!

Jamie the bad sheep of the family gets involved in a robbery and flees to his relatives farm in the west country.subsequently his wife arrives.however the wife falls for farm life and Patrick Holt simultaneously.The wife finds Jamie stealing money from a tin box.she struggles with him and eventually hits him on the head.he dies and is buried on the farm.his absence is noted and eventually the police come to search the farm but cannot find the body.however in one of those logic defying moments that happen so often in films of that era it is clear that the wife will confess to the police.it is extremely slow and in the end rather dull and disappointing.

I just saw a pretty little UK drama, in the noir and Gothic style.

The photography and score are awesome. The tale of a petty bank robber who tries to escape from the city where he knows he can be hunted by the police. So he goes to the country, to his uncle's farm, near the coast, where he works in a garage, repairing cars. But he keeps stealing, his own uncle, whose wife surprises our lead taking some money away. So they struggle and the young woman (SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS) accidentally kills the young. He dies right in the middle of the film, big surprise, as Janet Leigh in PSYCHO, under the shower.

And his uncle's wife has to go on with her own guilt following her, as an obsession all along the feature. She and the uncle bury the body and the film goes on. Henry King could have make such a film, with Christianity influences.

The ending is unfortunately predictable.

Not a bad drama, very well made.

Elizabeth Sellers was the only reason to bother with this. Roy Kellino was a journeyman writer/director at best and if he's remembered at all in the future it will be as the first husband of James Mason's wife, Pamela, and possibly for his partnership with Mason. It's a clumsy plot that's not sure whether it wants to be a thriller, rural idyll, or psychological drama. With no back-story we watch a getaway driver flee from a failed bank robbery and travel to Devon where an uncle puts him up temporarily. Next thing a wife turns up and again there is no back story. The man, Jamie, makes no attempt to be anything other than a bad lot so it's no surprise when he gets it where the chicken got the axe. There's still about three reels to go but Kellino is totally unable to milk it for suspense so it more or less peters out.