Breakout (1959 film) explained

Breakout
Director:Peter Graham Scott
Producer:Leslie Parkyn
Julian Wintle
Based On:the book Breakout by Frederick Oughton[1]
Starring:Lee Patterson
Hazel Court
Terence Alexander
Dermot Kelly
Cinematography:Eric Cross
Editing:Eric Boyd-Perkins
Studio:Independent Artists
Distributor:Anglo-Amalgamated Film Distributors (UK)
Released: (UK)
Runtime:62 minutes
Country:United Kingdom
Language:English

Breakout is a 1959 British crime drama film directed by Peter Graham Scott and starring Lee Patterson, Hazel Court and Terence Alexander.[2]

Plot

Arkwright is a fraudster serving a seven-year prison sentence. He gets word to his contact Chandler that he wants out. Chandler and his partner Farrow contract George Munro to organise the job of springing Arkwright. Munro hatches a plan involving a rigged delivery van.

Cast

Production

The film was shot at Beaconsfield Studios. Location shooting took place in the West End area of Aldershot in Hampshire. The gates of the East Cavalry Barracks on Barrack Road stood in for the prison gates used in the breakout. Other scenes were filmed in Uxbridge.

Critical reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "This moderately tense crime thriller distracts attention from the improbability of the escape preparations by skilful handing of background and detail. Although there is an intermittently successful attempt to build up Monro as a convincing character, the other figures all come from stock."[3]

In British Sound Films David Quinlan called the film a "quite exciting vest-pocket thriller with edgy performances."[4]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Goble, Alan. The Complete Index to Literary Sources in Film. 1 January 1999. Walter de Gruyter. 9783110951943. Google Books.
  2. Web site: Breakout (1959) . 15 October 2023 . British Film Institute Collections Search.
  3. 1 January 1960 . Breakout . . 26 . 300 . 44 . ProQuest.
  4. Book: Quinlan, David . British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959 . . 1984 . 0-7134-1874-5 . London . 287.