The Frightened City

The Frightened City is a 1961 British neo-noir gangster film about extortion rackets and gang warfare in the West End of London.[2] It stars Herbert Lom, John Gregson and a pre-Bond Sean Connery, who plays a burglar called Paddy Damion.[3] He is lured into a protection racket by oily mobster Harry Foulcher (Alfred Marks), in order to support his partner in crime Wally Smith (Kenneth Griffith), who is injured in a robbery.

The Frightened City
Original film poster
Directed byJohn Lemont
Produced byJohn Lemont
Leigh Vance
Written byLeigh Vance
StarringHerbert Lom
John Gregson
Sean Connery
Alfred Marks
Yvonne Romain
Music byNorrie Paramor
CinematographyDesmond Dickinson
Distributed byAllied Artists Pictures Corporation US
Anglo-Amalgamated Film Distributors UK
Release date
  • August 9, 1961 (1961-08-09)
[1]
Running time
97 min.
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

Although Connery's character has a girlfriend, he seduces the beautiful Anya (Yvonne Romain), the mistress of the seedy and sinister crime boss Zhernikov (Herbert Lom). John Gregson plays Detective Inspector Sayers who is dedicated to tackling organised crime.

The Shadows had a hit single, no. 3 on the British charts in May 1961, with the main theme.[4] It was subsequently covered by Peter Frampton in the 1996 collection Twang!: A Tribute to Hank Marvin & the Shadows.[5]

Cast

Release

The London premiere of “The Frightened City” took place at the Odeon Marble Arch on 9 August 1961.[1]

Critical reception

In a contemporary review, Variety noted "a conventional but brisk gangster yarn," concluding that "Herbert Lom plays the brains of the crooked organization with urbane villainy and equally reliable John Gregson makes a solid, confident job of the dedicated cop. Alfred Marks is cast offbeat as Lom’s gangster lieutenant. Marks gives a rich, oily, sinister and yet often amusing portrayal of an ambitious thug who is prepared to turn killer to get his own way. Comparative newcomer, rugged Sean Connery makes a distinct impression as an Irish crook, with an eye for the ladies. Connery combines toughness, charm and Irish blarney."[6] and more recently, AllMovie wrote, "The film itself is only of moderate interest, a gangster thriller that's engaging but not special; but the cast makes it worth watching."[7]

References
  1. "The Frightened City". Art & Hue. 2018. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  2. "The Frightened City (1961)".
  3. "The Frightened City (1961) - John Lemont - Cast and Crew - AllMovie". AllMovie.
  4. Brown, Tony, Jon Kutner & Neil Warwick, The Complete Book of the British Charts: Singles and Albums, Omnibus Press, London, 2002 p. 894
  5. "Twang!: A Tribute to Hank Marvin & the Shadows - Various Artists - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic.
  6. Variety Staff (1 January 1961). "The Frightened City".
  7. "The Frightened City (1961) - John Lemont - Review - AllMovie". AllMovie.


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