Nowhere to Go (1958 film): Difference between revisions
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Originally edited down as part of a [[double bill]], the full-length version of ''Nowhere to Go'' was released on DVD in January 2013. |
Originally edited down as part of a [[double bill]], the full-length version of ''Nowhere to Go'' was released on DVD in January 2013. |
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Holt called it "the least Ealing film ever made".<ref name="ken">Film & Music: Brief encounters: Kenneth Tynan on film: Tynan's Ealing escapade |
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Billington, Michael. The Guardian; London (UK) [London (UK)]21 May 2010: 4. </ref> |
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== Plot == |
== Plot == |
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Paul Gregory (Nader), a [[Canadians|Canadian]] [[confidence trickster]] operating in [[London]], targets a wealthy Canadian woman in Britain to sell her collection of [[Coin collecting|valuable coins]]. After meeting her at an [[ice hockey]] match, he sets about winning her confidence until she is prepared to give him legal control over the sale. He completes the deal without her knowledge, puts the money from the sale in a [[safe deposit box]], and then deliberately waits to be caught by the police. Gregory plans on getting a five-year sentence, with time off for good behaviour, and then collecting his loot when he is released. |
Paul Gregory (Nader), a [[Canadians|Canadian]] [[confidence trickster]] operating in [[London]], targets a wealthy Canadian woman in Britain to sell her collection of [[Coin collecting|valuable coins]]. After meeting her at an [[ice hockey]] match, he sets about winning her confidence until she is prepared to give him legal control over the sale. He completes the deal without her knowledge, puts the money from the sale in a [[safe deposit box]], and then deliberately waits to be caught by the police. Gregory plans on getting a five-year sentence, with time off for good behaviour, and then collecting his loot when he is released. |
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== Production == |
== Production == |
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The film was based on the debut novel by Donald MacKenzie, a former prisoner, which was published in 1956. The ''Manchester Guardian'' said "the reader is swept along until the very last page."<ref>FRENCH, ENGLISH, AND AMERICAN |
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The film was based on a novel by {{ill|Donald MacKenzie (writer)|fr|3=Donald MacKenzie (écrivain canadien)|lt=Donald MacKenzie}}. It was made at [[MGM-British Studios]] in Borehamwood, but put out under the [[Ealing Studios]] banner. Ealing had moved there following the sale of its own studio base in 1955. It was the penultimate Ealing release, followed only by ''[[The Siege of Pinchgut]]'' (1959). The film's director Seth Holt had been a long-term [[film editor]] at Ealing, and he was the last major beneficiary of studio head [[Michael Balcon]]'s policy of promoting from within. |
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Lies, Francis. The Manchester Guardian 7 Dec 1956: 8. </ref> It was published in the US as ''Manhunt''. The ''New York Times'' described it as "highly rewarding".<ref>Criminals At Large: Criminals |
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By ANTHONY BOUCHER. New York Times 3 Mar 1957: 247. </ref> |
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It was made at [[MGM-British Studios]] in Borehamwood, but put out under the [[Ealing Studios]] banner. Ealing had moved there following the sale of its own studio base in 1955. |
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In December 1956 Ealing listed ''Nowhere to Go'' as part of a slate of movies it planned to make the following year in conjunction with MGM; others included ''Davy'' and ''Dunkirk''. [[Harry Watt]] was to direct ''Nowhere to Go''.<ref>ON THE ENGLISH PRODUCTION SCENE: |
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By STEPHEN WATTS. New York Times 30 Dec 1956: X5. </ref> |
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Watt ended up being assigned to ''[[The Siege of Pinchgut]]'' (1959), which was to be the last Ealing film. The director of ''Nowhere to Go'' would be Seth Holt, a long-term [[film editor]] at Ealing, and he was the last major beneficiary of studio head [[Michael Balcon]]'s policy of promoting from within.<ref>Seth Holt |
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French, Philip. The Observer 21 Feb 1971: 21. </ref> |
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The script was co written by Kenneth Tynan, who worked at Ealing for two years. This was the only script of his to be filmed while there.<ref name="ken"/> |
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George Nader made the film just after his long term contract with Universal ended. He flew into London on 3 December 1957.<ref>Nader to Do Films in London and Italy |
George Nader made the film just after his long term contract with Universal ended. He flew into London on 3 December 1957.<ref>Nader to Do Films in London and Italy |
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Hopper, Hedda. Los Angeles Times 30 Nov 1957: B2. </ref> |
Hopper, Hedda. Los Angeles Times 30 Nov 1957: B2. </ref> |
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Maggie Smith was a rising stage star. She was one of eleven artists under contract to Ealing.<ref>MISS SMITH TAKES THE STAGE |
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⚫ | |||
Richards, Dick. The Sketch; London Vol. 228, Iss. 2952, (Jan 15, 1958): 68. </ref> |
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== Release == |
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''Nowhere to Go'' was the first Ealing film under the MGM arrangement not to get a standalone release. Instead, MGM cut it to 89 minutes and put it out in the UK on the bottom half of a double bill with the World War II submarine drama ''[[Torpedo Run]]''. The pairing premiered in the West End on 4 December 1958, curiously at Fox's Rialto Theatre rather than one of MGM's two West End outlets. UK general release began on the ABC circuit from 11 January 1959.<ref>{{cite book|last=Eyles|first=Allen|title=ABC: The First Name in Entertainment|year=1993|publisher=CTA-BFI Publishing|location=London|isbn= 978-0-85170-430-2 |page= 121}}</ref> |
''Nowhere to Go'' was the first Ealing film under the MGM arrangement not to get a standalone release. Instead, MGM cut it to 89 minutes and put it out in the UK on the bottom half of a double bill with the World War II submarine drama ''[[Torpedo Run]]''. The pairing premiered in the West End on 4 December 1958, curiously at Fox's Rialto Theatre rather than one of MGM's two West End outlets. UK general release began on the ABC circuit from 11 January 1959.<ref>{{cite book|last=Eyles|first=Allen|title=ABC: The First Name in Entertainment|year=1993|publisher=CTA-BFI Publishing|location=London|isbn= 978-0-85170-430-2 |page= 121}}</ref> |
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⚫ | |||
===Critical=== |
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David Thomson later called it "a cool, supremely visual thriller that in terms of its minimal dialogue and daring narrative playfulness is closer to the world of Jean-Pierre Melville than to any British precedents."<ref>Desert heat |
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Thompson, David. Sight and Sound; London Vol. 21, Iss. 9, (Sep 2011): 10. </ref> |
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===Box Office=== |
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According to MGM records, the film earned $145,000 in the US and Canada and $450,000 elsewhere, resulting in a loss of $242,000.<ref name="Mannix" /> |
According to MGM records, the film earned $145,000 in the US and Canada and $450,000 elsewhere, resulting in a loss of $242,000.<ref name="Mannix" /> |
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Revision as of 06:28, 12 October 2020
Nowhere to Go | |
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Directed by | Seth Holt |
Written by | Kenneth Tynan Seth Holt |
Based on | Nowhere to Go: A Novel by Donald MacKenzie[1] |
Produced by | Michael Balcon Eric Williams |
Starring | George Nader Maggie Smith Bernard Lee Geoffrey Keen |
Cinematography | Paul Beeson |
Edited by | Harry Aldous |
Music by | Dizzy Reece |
Production company | Ealing Films Ltd. |
Distributed by | MGM |
Release date |
|
Running time | 89 minutes |
Country | United Kingdom |
Language | English |
Budget | $468,000[2] |
Box office | $460,000[2] |
Nowhere to Go is a 1958 British crime film directed by Seth Holt, his directorial debut. It stars George Nader, Maggie Smith (receiving her first screen credit), Bernard Lee, Harry H. Corbett, and Bessie Love. After a criminal escapes from jail, his attempts to recover his stashed loot end in failure, as he is shunned by the criminal community and hunted down by the police.
Originally edited down as part of a double bill, the full-length version of Nowhere to Go was released on DVD in January 2013.
Holt called it "the least Ealing film ever made".[3]
Plot
Paul Gregory (Nader), a Canadian confidence trickster operating in London, targets a wealthy Canadian woman in Britain to sell her collection of valuable coins. After meeting her at an ice hockey match, he sets about winning her confidence until she is prepared to give him legal control over the sale. He completes the deal without her knowledge, puts the money from the sale in a safe deposit box, and then deliberately waits to be caught by the police. Gregory plans on getting a five-year sentence, with time off for good behaviour, and then collecting his loot when he is released.
However, the judge makes an example of the uncooperative Gregory by handing down a ten-year term. Not wishing to spend so much time in jail, Gregory pays Victor Sloane (Bernard Lee), one of his associates on the outside, to help him escape. Almost immediately, things begin to go wrong. Fearing arrest, he is unable for the moment to recover the money from the safe. Sloane also now begins to demand more money, threatening him with violence, and Gregory is forced to retaliate.
Gregory tries to get help from his fellow criminals, calling upon an established code that exists between them. But when his former associate Sloane is found dead – accidentally having choked to death on the gag Gregory placed in his mouth – they refuse to offer him any assistance, as he is now too "hot".
With the manhunt rapidly closing in, he tries to escape with the help of Bridget Howard (Maggie Smith), a disillusioned ex-débutante and niece of a Chief Constable. She drives Gregory to a deserted cottage near her family's home in rural Wales. While in hiding, he witnesses the police arrive to question Bridget, assumes the worst, and flees again. Attempting to steal a farmer's bicycle, he is shot in the shoulder. He drives away in a stolen truck but crashes and passes out, where he is found by another farmer. Bridget tells the police nothing. She waits in vain for Gregory at the cottage, then walks into the distance.
Cast
- George Nader as Paul Gregory
- Maggie Smith as Bridget Howard
- Bernard Lee as Victor Sloane, alias Lee Henderson
- Geoffrey Keen as Inspector Scott
- Bessie Love as Harriet P. Jefferson
- Harry H. Corbett as Sullivan (credited as Harry Corbett)
- Andrée Melly as Rosa, Irish nightclub waitress
- Harry Locke as George Bendel
- Howard Marion-Crawford as Mack Cameron, club owner
- Arthur Howard as First Mr. Dodds
- John Welsh as Second Mr. Dodds
- Noel Howlett as Uncle Tom Howard
- Christopher Hunter as Child
- Lionel Jeffries as Shopkeeper
- Glyn Houston as Box office clerk
- Lily Kann as Anna Berg
- Maggie Rennie as Mary
- Charles Price as Tractor Driver
- John Turner as Policeman
- Oliver Johnston as Mr. Hopkins, vault official
- Beckett Bould as Gamekeeper
- Lane Meddick as Welsh Garageman
Production
The film was based on the debut novel by Donald MacKenzie, a former prisoner, which was published in 1956. The Manchester Guardian said "the reader is swept along until the very last page."[4] It was published in the US as Manhunt. The New York Times described it as "highly rewarding".[5]
It was made at MGM-British Studios in Borehamwood, but put out under the Ealing Studios banner. Ealing had moved there following the sale of its own studio base in 1955.
In December 1956 Ealing listed Nowhere to Go as part of a slate of movies it planned to make the following year in conjunction with MGM; others included Davy and Dunkirk. Harry Watt was to direct Nowhere to Go.[6]
Watt ended up being assigned to The Siege of Pinchgut (1959), which was to be the last Ealing film. The director of Nowhere to Go would be Seth Holt, a long-term film editor at Ealing, and he was the last major beneficiary of studio head Michael Balcon's policy of promoting from within.[7]
The script was co written by Kenneth Tynan, who worked at Ealing for two years. This was the only script of his to be filmed while there.[3]
George Nader made the film just after his long term contract with Universal ended. He flew into London on 3 December 1957.[8]
Maggie Smith was a rising stage star. She was one of eleven artists under contract to Ealing.[9]
Release
Nowhere to Go was the first Ealing film under the MGM arrangement not to get a standalone release. Instead, MGM cut it to 89 minutes and put it out in the UK on the bottom half of a double bill with the World War II submarine drama Torpedo Run. The pairing premiered in the West End on 4 December 1958, curiously at Fox's Rialto Theatre rather than one of MGM's two West End outlets. UK general release began on the ABC circuit from 11 January 1959.[10]
Reception
Critical
David Thomson later called it "a cool, supremely visual thriller that in terms of its minimal dialogue and daring narrative playfulness is closer to the world of Jean-Pierre Melville than to any British precedents."[11]
Box Office
According to MGM records, the film earned $145,000 in the US and Canada and $450,000 elsewhere, resulting in a loss of $242,000.[2]
References
- ^ MacKenzie, Donald (1956). Nowhere to Go: A Novel. London: Elek Books. OCLC 562102160.
- ^ a b c The Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study.
- ^ a b Film & Music: Brief encounters: Kenneth Tynan on film: Tynan's Ealing escapade Billington, Michael. The Guardian; London (UK) [London (UK)]21 May 2010: 4.
- ^ FRENCH, ENGLISH, AND AMERICAN Lies, Francis. The Manchester Guardian 7 Dec 1956: 8.
- ^ Criminals At Large: Criminals By ANTHONY BOUCHER. New York Times 3 Mar 1957: 247.
- ^ ON THE ENGLISH PRODUCTION SCENE: By STEPHEN WATTS. New York Times 30 Dec 1956: X5.
- ^ Seth Holt French, Philip. The Observer 21 Feb 1971: 21.
- ^ Nader to Do Films in London and Italy Hopper, Hedda. Los Angeles Times 30 Nov 1957: B2.
- ^ MISS SMITH TAKES THE STAGE Richards, Dick. The Sketch; London Vol. 228, Iss. 2952, (Jan 15, 1958): 68.
- ^ Eyles, Allen (1993). ABC: The First Name in Entertainment. London: CTA-BFI Publishing. p. 121. ISBN 978-0-85170-430-2.
- ^ Desert heat Thompson, David. Sight and Sound; London Vol. 21, Iss. 9, (Sep 2011): 10.
Further reading
- Perry, George (1981). Forever Ealing: A Celebration of the Great British Film Studio. Pavilion.
External links
- Nowhere to Go at IMDb
- Nowhere to Go at AllMovie
- Nowhere to Go at Letterbox DVD
- Nowhere to Go at Reelstreets