''Escape by Night'' is a 1953 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 and written by John Gilling.

Plot

Tom Buchan (Colleano) is an alcoholic journalist whose once memorable work has been destroyed by his constant drunken antics that have cost him his future. Buchan boasts to his colleagues that they report news, whilst he ''makes'' it. He sees a chance for redemption by getting the life story of Gino Rossi (James), an Italian crime boss on the run. He wins Rossi's confidence by tipping him off to the police coming to arrest them (after Buchan himself tipped off the police). The highly suspicious Rossi promises Buchan the rights to his life story as they hide out in an abandoned theatre in return for Buchan, a former pilot, flying him to Italy. Through his

nightclub singer A nightclub act is a production, usually of nightclub music or comedy, designed for performance at a nightclub, a type of drinking establishment, by a nightclub performer such as a nightclub singer or nightclub dancer, whose performance may ...

girlfriend Rosetta, Rossi becomes suspicious that his brother Guillio plans to take over his gang. They are discovered by a young boy playing games by himself in the theatre with Buchan telling the boy they are Secret Service Agents and enlist the child as a junior secret agent to bring them food, supplies and deliver Buchan's stories to his editor and messages to Rosetta. Due to Buchan's disappearance his editor places a £500 reward in the media for news of the two men.

Cast

Bonar Colleano Bonar Sullivan (14 March 192417 August 1958), also known by the stage name Bonar Colleano, was an American stage and film actor based in the United Kingdom. Biography Early life Colleano was born Bonar Sullivan in New York City. He had childhood ...

.....Tom Buchan *

Andrew Ray Andrew Ray (31 May 193920 August 2003) was an English actor who was best known as a child star. Biography He was born Andrew Olden (Ray was his father's stage name) in Southgate, Middlesex, the son of the radio comic Ted Ray and his wife, sho ...

.....Joey Weston *

Sid James Sidney James (born Solomon Joel Cohen; 8 May 1913 – 26 April 1976) was a British actor and comedian whose career encompassed radio, television, stage and screen. He was best known for numerous roles in the Carry On film series. Born to a mid ...

.....Gino Rossi * Ted Ray .....Mr. Weston *

Simone Silva Simone may refer to: * Simone (given name), a feminine (or Italian masculine) given name of Hebrew origin * Simone (surname), an Italian surname Simone may also refer to: * ''Simone'' (1918 film), a French silent drama film * ''Simone'' (1926 fi ...

.....Rosetta Mantania *

Patrick Barr Patrick David Barr (13 February 1908 – 29 August 1985) was an English actor. In his career spanning over half a century, he appeared in about 144 films and television series. Biography Born in Akola, British India in 1908, Barr was educate ...

.....Inspector Frampton *Peter Sinclair .....MacNaughton *

Avice Landone Avice Landone (1 September 191012 June 1976) was an English actress who appeared in British television and film. She was born in Quetta, British India, and made her screen debut in the 1948 film '' My Brother Jonathon''. From 1961 she co-starre ...

.....Mrs. Weston *

Ronald Adam General Sir Ronald Forbes Adam, 2nd Baronet, (30 October 1885 – 26 December 1982) was a senior British Army officer. He had an important influence on the conduct of the British Army during the Second World War as a result of his long tenure ...

.....Tallboy *

Eric Berry James Eric Berry (born December 29, 1988) is an American former football safety who played in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers, where he was a two-time unanimous All-American and recog ...

.....Con Blair * Martin Benson .....Guillio Harry Towb ....Reporter (uncredited)

Critical reception

TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or t ...

'' wrote that the "Plot moves fast enough to make viewers forget the plot holes."

References

External links

* * 1953 films 1953 crime drama films British crime thriller films British black-and-white films British crime drama films Films set in London 1950s English-language films 1950s British films {{crime-thriller-film-stub