''For Them That Trespass'' is a 1949 British

crime film Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine ...

directed by

Alberto Cavalcanti Alberto de Almeida Cavalcanti (February 6, 1897 – August 23, 1982) was a Brazilian-born film director and film producer, producer. He was often credited under the single name "Cavalcanti". Early life Cavalcanti was born in Rio de Janeiro, ...

and starring

Richard Todd Richard Andrew Palethorpe-Todd (11 June 19193 December 2009) was an Irish-British actor known for his leading man roles of the 1950s. He received a Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer – Male, and an Academy Award for Best Actor n ...

Patricia Plunkett Patricia Ruth Plunkett (17 December 1926 – 13 October 1974) was an English actress, born to an Australian WW1 soldier, Captain Gunning Francis Plunkett, and Alice Park. Born in Streatham, London, she trained at RADA and had an early stage hit ...

and Stephen Murray. It is an adaptation of the 1944 novel of the same name by

Ernest Raymond Ernest Raymond (31 December 1888 – 14 May 1974) was a British novelist, best known for his first novel, '' Tell England'' (1922), set in World War I. His next biggest success was ''We, the Accused'' (1935), generally thought to be a reworki ...

. The film's main theme is

miscarriage of justice A miscarriage of justice occurs when a grossly unfair outcome occurs in a criminal procedure, criminal or civil procedure, civil proceeding, such as the conviction and punishment of a person for a crime they actual innocence, did not commit. Mis ...

. In the film, a professional writer witnesses a murder. He decides not to testify on behalf of an innocent man accused of the crime, wishing to protect his own reputation. The innocent man spends 15 years in prison for the murder. Once released, he tries to clear his name.

Plot

Promising writer Christopher Drew conceals his relationship with a murdered woman in order to protect his career, even though this results in an innocent man going to prison for the killing. The upper-class Drew decides he needs some first-hand experience to invigorate his work, so he explores the seedier areas of town in search of inspiration. Much to his dismay, he witnesses a murder, but he then refuses to help an innocent man, Herbert Logan, who has been arrested for the crime, because his presence in such a neighbourhood would cause a scandal. Logan is freed after serving 15 years in jail. He hears his "crime" detailed in a radio drama written by Drew and gathers enough evidence to clear his name.

Cast

as Herbert Edward Logan *

as Rosie * Stephen Murray as Christopher Drew * Michael Laurence as Jim Heal *

Vida Hope Vida Hope (16 December 1910 – 23 December 1963) was a British stage and film actress, who also directed stage productions. Life and career Born in Liverpool, Lancashire, to theatrical parents, she travelled widely as a child.Some of the Comp ...

as Olive Mockson *

Rosalyn Boulter Rosalyn Boulter (1 February 19176 March 1997) was a British film actress. She married Stanley Haynes, a film writer, director and producer before having a daughter together, Carol, in 1943. Between 1935 and 1936 she featured in four West End ...

as Frankie Ketchen * James Hayter as 'Jocko': John Cragie Glenn *

Harry Fowler Henry James Fowler, MBE (10 December 1926 – 4 January 2012) was an English character actor in film and television. Over a career lasting more than six decades, he made nearly 200 appearances on screen. Personal life Fowler was born in Lambe ...

as Dave * George Hayes as Artist * Michael Brennan as Inspector Benstead *

Joan Dowling Joan Dowling (6 January 1928 – 31 March 1954) was a British character actress. Life and career Dowling was the illegitimate daughter of Vera Dowling. A piece in ''The Laindon and District Times'', on 23 June 2015, written by her cousin Joh ...

as Gracie *

Michael Medwin Michael Hugh Medwin, OBE (18 July 1923 – 26 February 2020) was an English actor and film producer. Life and career Medwin was born in London. He was educated at Canford School, Dorset, and the Institute Fischer, Montreux, Switzerland. He ...

as Len *

Mary Merrall Mary Merrall (5 January 1890 – 31 August 1973), born Elsie Lloyd, was an English actress whose career of over 60 years encompassed stage, film and television work. Stage career Merrall's stage career started in her teens, making her first stag ...

as Mrs. Drew *

Irene Handl Irene Handl (27 December 1901 – 29 November 1987) was a British author and character actress who appeared in more than 100 British films. Life Irene Handl was born in Maida Vale, London, the younger of two daughters of an Austria-born father ...

as Inn owner *

John Salew John Rylett Salew (1902 (some sources state 1 January 1897)14 September 1961) was an English stage film and TV actor. Salew made the transition from stage to films in 1939, and according to Allmovie, "the manpower shortage during WWII enabled ...

as Ainsley, Prosecutor * Robert Harris as Sir Huntley, Defence counsel *

Kynaston Reeves Philip Arthur Reeves (29 May 18935 December 1971), known professionally as Kynaston Reeves, was an English character actor who appeared in numerous films and many television plays and series. Early life Reeves was born in London on 29 May 189 ...

as The Judge *

Helen Cherry Helen Mary Cherry (24 November 1915 – 27 September 2001) was an English stage, film and television actress. She was born in Worsley, Lancashire, and brought up in Harrogate, West Riding of Yorkshire. Marriage Whilst working at the Arts Thea ...

as Mary Drew *

Frederick Leister Frederick Leister (1 December 1885 – 24 August 1970), was an English actor. He began his career in musical comedy and after serving in the First World War he played character roles in modern West End plays and in classic drama. He appeared in ...

as The Vicar *

Edward Lexy Edward Lexy (18 February 1897, in London – 31 January 1970, in Dublin) was a British actor. He was born Edward Little. Career He made his London stage début in 1936, and his first film the following year. His film roles were a mixture of s ...

as the Second Prison Warder *

Valentine Dyall Valentine Dyall (7 May 1908 – 24 June 1985) was an English character actor. He worked regularly as a voice actor, and was known for many years as "The Man in Black", the narrator of the BBC Radio horror series '' Appointment with Fear'' ...

as Toastmaster *

Charles Lloyd Pack Charles Lloyd-Pack (10 October 1902 – 22 December 1983) was a British film, television and stage actor. Life and career Lloyd-Pack was born at Wapping, East London, to working-class parents. He was seen in several horror films produced by th ...

as Theatre Critic * Andreas Malandrinos as Nicholas *

George Merritt (actor) Frederick George Merritt (10 December 1890 – 27 September 1977) was an English theatre, film and television actor, often in authoritarian roles. He studied German theatre in Magdeburg, Germany, and taught at the Berlitz School at the outbreak ...

as Engine Driver * Kenneth Moore (1914-1982) - as Prison Warder *

Alan Wheatley Alan Wheatley (19 April 1907 – 30 August 1991) was an English actor. He was a well known stage actor in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, appeared in forty films between 1931 and 1965 and was a frequent broadcaster on radio from the 1930s to the ...

as Librarian

Production

Richard Todd was cast after a screen test. It was his first leading role. His casting was announced in July 1948. He was also signed to a seven-year contract with Associated British. The film led to Todd being cast in ''

The Hasty Heart ''The Hasty Heart'' is a 1949 war drama film, an Anglo-American co-production starring Ronald Reagan, Patricia Neal, and Richard Todd and directed by Vincent Sherman. The film is based on the 1945 play of the same name by John Patrick. ''Th ...

''.

Critical reception

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' called it "a drab and dreary little film". On the other hand,

Sky Movies Sky Cinema is a British subscription film service owned by Sky Group (a division of Comcast). In the United Kingdom, Sky Cinema channels currently broadcast on the Sky satellite and Virgin Media cable platforms, and in addition Sky Cinema ...

calls it a "gripping movie drama which has a lot of high feeling and style. ... Still impressive, though more than 40 years after." Todd called it "dreary" but it led to him being offered a long-term contract with Associated British.

References

External links

* * 1949 films 1949 crime films Films directed by Alberto Cavalcanti Films based on British novels British black-and-white films British crime films Films with screenplays by J. Lee Thompson Films about writers Films about miscarriage of justice Films about murder 1940s English-language films 1940s British films {{1940s-crime-film-stub