Deadlock (1943 film)
| Deadlock | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Ronald Haines |
| Produced by | Ronald Haines |
| Starring | John Slater Cecile Chevreau Molly Hamley-Clifford Hugh Morton |
Production company | British Foundation Pictures Ltd |
Release date |
|
Running time | 59 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Deadlock is a 1943 British crime film directed by Robert Haines and starring John Slater in a dual role as twin brothers. A quota quickie, it was listed on the British Film Institute's BFI 75 Most Wanted list of lost films[1] and was subsequently rediscovered.[2]
Cast
- John Slater as Fred Bamber / Allan Bamber
- Cecile Chevreau as Eileen
- Molly Hamley-Clifford as Martha
- Hugh Morton as Arkell
- Gordon Edwards as Geoffrey
- Mirren Wood as a village girl
- Richard Lindsay as the judge
- George Dewhurst as Slaks
Reception
The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "John Slater makes the twin brothers suitably unattractive, and Cecille Chevreau does her best with the unfortunate Eileen. Direction and dialogue are uninspired and the cast fail to evoke much sympathy, so that it is not a matter of great interest whether they are hanged or murdered."[3]
Kine Weekly wrote: "There is more to the plot than meets the eye, but unfortunately neither the script-writers, cast nor director make the most of its psychological possibilities. Still, much of its surface action is suspenseful and exciting, and its climax exploits a well-timed twist. It's an each-way bet on balance. Reliable quota proposition for the smaller industrial halls."[4]
References
- ^ "Deadlock / BFI Most Wanted". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 3 August 2012. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
- ^ Josephine Botting (4 April 2014). "BFI Most Wanted: our discoveries so far". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 18 October 2023. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
- ^ "Deadlock". The Monthly Film Bulletin. 10 (109): 121. 1 January 1943. ProQuest 1305805879.
- ^ "Deadlock". Kine Weekly. 321 (1907): 46. 4 November 1943. ProQuest 2676988714.
External links
- BFI 75 Most Wanted entry, with extensive notes
- Deadlock at IMDb