The bonus movie in Volume Three is Breakout, made by Independent Artists at Beaconsfield Studios.
It should be pointed out that there were two British movies released in 1959 both with the title Breakout, the other being a prisoner-of-war drama.
A man named Arkwright (John Paul) has been convicted of fraud and sentenced to seven years in prison. He is very unhappy at this prospect. And he intends to do something about it. He knows a chap who can help people who would prefer not to remain in prison. The chap’s name is Chandler (William Lucas). He and his partner Steve Farrow (Terence Alexander) assure Arkwright’s wife Rita (Hazel Court) that they can help.
Chandler decides that George Munro (Lee Patterson) is the man for the job.
Munro works in the town planning department at the local council. His supervisor considers him to be good at his job, but a bit weak when it comes to details. If details are important in town planning they’re even more important in planning prison escapes.
Munro’s plan is bold yet simple. He knows that a van calls at the prison regularly, brining kitchen supplies. He intends to be driving that van.
Munro of course can’t control every single thing that goes on. He can’t for example anticipate that Farrow would start playing around with Arkwright’s wife. No matter how good your plan might be you have to rely on your accomplices not to make mistakes.
The screenplay by Peter Barnes was based on a story by Frederick Oughton. It’s a solid enough script but perhaps it needed a few more twists. The romantic sub-plot had potential but it doesn’t really go anywhere.
Director Peter Graham Scott went on to have a good career in television. He does a competent job here but the movie doesn’t quite have the necessary sense of urgency. The pacing is fine but the suspense falls a bit flat.
This is very much a B-feature but it doesn’t suffer to any great extent from the lack of money. It was shot in black-and-white.
The casting is a major strength of this movie. Lee Patterson was a very competent Canadian actor who made some excellent B-movies in Britain during the 1950s. He had charm and he had the likeability factor. Whether he played a good guy or a bad guy you couldn’t help caring what happened to the characters he played. And in his laid-back way he had a certain charisma. Patterson’s performance is this movie’s single biggest plus.
The female lead is the glamorous and sexy Hazel Court but she doesn’t get enough to do. What she does she does well, as always.
Billie Whitelaw is very good as Munro’s wife, giving the character some substance.
The supporting cast is packed with the sorts of British character actors who could always be relied upon.
Network have provided a very satisfactory transfer (as usual) without any extras.
Compared to Merton Park’s Edgar Wallace crime films Breakout lacks a certain zest and style. But if you’re going to buy the set anyway (and you should) then it’s a perfectly painless way to spend an hour. It’s one of those movies that would probably not have been worth a standalone release but as a bonus movie it’s fine and it’s worth giving it a spin if you don’t set your expectations unrealistically high.
A man named Arkwright (John Paul) has been convicted of fraud and sentenced to seven years in prison. He is very unhappy at this prospect. And he intends to do something about it. He knows a chap who can help people who would prefer not to remain in prison. The chap’s name is Chandler (William Lucas). He and his partner Steve Farrow (Terence Alexander) assure Arkwright’s wife Rita (Hazel Court) that they can help.
Munro works in the town planning department at the local council. His supervisor considers him to be good at his job, but a bit weak when it comes to details. If details are important in town planning they’re even more important in planning prison escapes.
Munro’s plan is bold yet simple. He knows that a van calls at the prison regularly, brining kitchen supplies. He intends to be driving that van.
Munro of course can’t control every single thing that goes on. He can’t for example anticipate that Farrow would start playing around with Arkwright’s wife. No matter how good your plan might be you have to rely on your accomplices not to make mistakes.
Director Peter Graham Scott went on to have a good career in television. He does a competent job here but the movie doesn’t quite have the necessary sense of urgency. The pacing is fine but the suspense falls a bit flat.
This is very much a B-feature but it doesn’t suffer to any great extent from the lack of money. It was shot in black-and-white.
The female lead is the glamorous and sexy Hazel Court but she doesn’t get enough to do. What she does she does well, as always.
Billie Whitelaw is very good as Munro’s wife, giving the character some substance.
Network have provided a very satisfactory transfer (as usual) without any extras.
Compared to Merton Park’s Edgar Wallace crime films Breakout lacks a certain zest and style. But if you’re going to buy the set anyway (and you should) then it’s a perfectly painless way to spend an hour. It’s one of those movies that would probably not have been worth a standalone release but as a bonus movie it’s fine and it’s worth giving it a spin if you don’t set your expectations unrealistically high.
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