Dangerous Afternoon (1961)

Dangerous Afternoon (1961)

„Dangerous Afternoon“ is a 1961 crime film directed by Charles Saunders. The screenplay by Brandon Fleming is based on a play by Gerald Anstruther.

Miss Letty Frost was a desperate criminal who escaped from prison, breaking her back as she did so. Now she’s made amends since she’s become paralyzed, and wheelchair-bound. Letty has crafty expressions like she knows and has seen everything, and is able to do an ’about face’ of character with some scary facial agility. Letty is now a home owner running a boarding house, which is home to a group of really old women, all are ex-prisoners, and are former associates of hers. Each has a criminal past to hide. Mrs. Louisa Sprule, in particular, is a tenant that is still an active pickpocket and shoplifter.

Contrasting to Ruth is her quirky, artistic, cute-as-a-button, naive niece, Freda, who in reality is actually Ruth’s daughter. Her husband is an attractive businessman, Howard Pays.

Word soon arrives that Miss Jean Berry, a former associate of the old housemistress whom she left in prison, is looking for her, with plans of blackmail.

Letty, which isn’t her real name, is now being blackmailed by her former partner-in-crime with a score to settle from Letty’s past, Miss Jean Berry, who knows Letty’s real name.

A 1961 British Black & White crime film directed by Charles Saunders, produced by Guido Coen, screenplay by Brandon Fleming, based on Gerald Anstruther’s play, cinematography by Geoffrey Faithfull, starring Ruth Dunning, Nora Nicholson, Joanna Dunham, Howard Pays, May Hallat, Gwenda Wilson, Ian Colin, Gladys Henson, Barbara Everest, Max Brimmell, James Raglan, Trevor Reid, and Jerold Wells.

Mary Ruth Dunning (1909 – 27 1983), born in Prestatyn, Denbighshire, was a Welsh actress of stage, television, and film. As a young actress, Dunning was a member of an amateur theatre company in Altrincham. In 1934, she took over a part from Wendy Hiller in „Love on the Dole,“ at the Garrick Theatre in London. Other stage appearances for Dunning included Val Gielgud’s „Punch and Judy“ (1937). A. A. Milne’s „Gentleman Unknown“ (1938), Ted Willis’ „The Eyes of Youth“ (1959), and Willis’ adaptation of „Gorky’s Mother“ (1961). Dunning played Mrs Grove. in „The Grove family“ which ran from 1954-57.

This briskly paced yarn was primarily filmed at Twickenham Studios with the shops next to Strawberry Hill railway station, notably the chemist’s in Wellesley Parade, being used for external location shots.

Cast:

• Nora Nicholson – Mrs. Louisa Sprule
• Diana Chesney – Woman Customer at Chemist
• Richard McNeff – Mr. Brown, the Chemist
• Jan Miller – Girl Assistant at Chemist
• Jackie Noble – Maisie
• Edna Morris – Mrs. Millett
• Elizabeth Begley – Mrs. Caldwell
• Ruth Dunning – Miss Letty Frost
• May Hallatt – Miss Burge
• Barbara Everest – Mrs. Judson
• Jerold Wells – George „Butch“ Birling
• Gladys Henson – Miss Cassell
• James Raglan – Sir Phillip Morstan
• Howard Pays – Jack Loring
• Joanna Dunham – Freda
• Deirdre Clarke – Joan Mason
• Arlene Butler – Bunch
• Brian Weske – Jim
• Roddy Maude-Roxby – Pug
• John Line – Peter
• Gwenda Wilson – Miss Jean Berry
• Ian Colin – Rev. Everard Porson
• Frank Sieman – Police Sergeant Morris
• Keith Smith – Constable Kemp
• Max Brimmell – Doctor Spalding
• Trevor Reid – Inspector Craven
• Frank Hawkins – Inspector Bartlett
• Barry Wilsher – Sergeant Hewson

„Dangerous Afternoon“ ist ein Kriminalfilm aus dem Jahr 1961 unter der Regie von Charles Saunders. Das Drehbuch von Brandon Fleming basiert auf einem Theaterstück von Gerald Anstruther.

Miss Letty Frost war eine verzweifelte Kriminelle, die aus dem Gefängnis ausbrach und sich dabei das Rückgrat brach. Seit sie gelähmt und an den Rollstuhl gefesselt ist, hat sie Wiedergutmachung geleistet. Letty hat einen gewitzten Gesichtsausdruck, als wüsste sie alles und hätte alles gesehen, und sie ist in der Lage, mit einer beängstigenden Mimik eine "Kehrtwende" zu vollziehen. Letty ist jetzt eine Hausbesitzerin, die eine Pension betreibt, in der eine Gruppe sehr alter Frauen lebt, die alle ehemalige Häftlinge sind und mit denen sie früher zusammenarbeitete. Jede von ihnen hat eine kriminelle Vergangenheit zu verbergen. Vor allem Mrs. Louisa Sprule ist eine Mieterin, die immer noch aktiv Taschendiebstahl und Ladendiebstahl begeht.