They Made Me a Fugitive
| They Made Me a Fugitive | |
|---|---|
 American release poster | |
| Directed by | Alberto Cavalcanti |
| Produced by | Nat Bronstein |
| Written by |
Noel Langley Jackson Budd (novel) |
| Starring |
Trevor Howard Sally Gray |
| Music by | Marius-François Gaillard |
| Cinematography | Otto Heller |
| Edited by |
Marjorie Saunders Reginald Beck (sup) |
Production company |
A. R. Shipman Productions/ Alliance Films |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 99 min. |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
They Made Me a Fugitive (released in the US as I Became a Criminal) is a 1947 British film noir set in postwar England.[1][2]
Based on the Jackson Budd novel A Convict has Escaped, the black-and-white film was directed by Alberto Cavalcanti (credited as just Cavalcanti), with brooding and atmospheric cinematography by noted cameraman Otto Heller. The script was written by playwright Noel Langley, one of the screenwriters of The Wizard of Oz.
Plot
Clem Morgan, demobilised from the Royal Air Force and unemployed after the war, is drawn into the world of crime. His psychopathic crime boss Narcy (short for Narcissus) deals in the black market, transporting goods in coffins to his headquarters in a funeral parlour. Clem finds the activity harmless enough, until one day he finds drugs in the latest coffin. Clem objects and tells his girlfriend that he will quit after one last job that night, the looting of a warehouse. Narcy betrays him, triggering the burglar alarm while he is inside. Clem manages to get back in the car before his associates drive off. When Narcy orders the driver to run down a policeman, Clem grabs the wheel in an unsuccessful attempt to save the man's life and the car crashes into a lamppost. Narcy knocks him unconscious and has him moved to the driver's seat before fleeing.
Clem is convicted and imprisoned, but escapes and evades a country-wide manhunt as he seeks revenge.
Cast
- Sally Gray as Sally
- Trevor Howard as Clem Morgan
- Griffith Jones as Narcy
- Rene Ray as Cora
- Mary Merrall as Aggie
- Charles Farrell as Curley
- Michael Brennan as Jim
- Jack McNaughton as Soapy
- Cyril Smith as Bert
- John Penrose as Shawney
Reception
According to trade papers, the film was a "notable box office attraction" at British cinemas in 1947.[3]
References
- ↑ Variety film review; 2 July 1947, page 13.
- ↑ Harrison's Reports film review (14 February 1948), page 26
- ↑ Robert Murphy, Realism and Tinsel: Cinema and Society in Britain 1939-48 2003 p209
External links
- They Made Me a Fugitive at the Internet Movie Database
- They Made Me a Fugitive at the TCM Movie Database
- Review of film at Variety