Convicted killer John Marriott is seemingly becoming the hardest man to execute.Convicted killer John Marriott is seemingly becoming the hardest man to execute.Convicted killer John Marriott is seemingly becoming the hardest man to execute.
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Did you know
- TriviaIn real-life, convict John Henry George Lee survived 3 attempts to hang for murder in 1885. All 3 attempts took place on the same day, 23 February, at Exeter Prison in south-west England. In each instance the trapdoor failed to open despite successful tests immediately beforehand. After the last attempt the process was stopped, Lee's sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. Lee was released in 1907, and eventually died in 1945 aged 80.
- GoofsThe British (Cockney) accent by the American actor Alfred Ryder is impressive, however he pronounces the word lever (on the gallows) as "lev-er" like an American not "lee-ver" as the British do - and says that he intended to re-pay "every cent" of a debt (not "every penny") despite just stating the debt in British currency. Also when he states that (pre-decimal) debt he says the pennies before the shillings - the British way of saying it was reversed.
Featured review
One Way to Skin a Cat
In an 1895 London prison, condemned Alfred Ryder (as John Marriott) nervously waits to be hanged. Before he is taken to the gallows, Mr. Ryder admits to the chaplain, "I pushed a blind beggar into the gutter and I robbed his tin cup." More seriously, he murdered a woman. Ryder is surprised when the hanging rope snaps, saving his life. Ryder explains a vision showed him there would be only one way they could kill him. He asks for a last meal, explaining, "It's not healthy for a man to miss his breakfast." Repeated attempts to kill him are futile, and Ryder is released. But, soon, Ryder meets his Achilles' heel
**** The Devil's Laughter (3/31/59) John Ireland ~ Alfred Ryder, Ben Wright, Lester Matthews
**** The Devil's Laughter (3/31/59) John Ireland ~ Alfred Ryder, Ben Wright, Lester Matthews
- wes-connors
- Jun 28, 2009
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Details
- Runtime30 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
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