Escape by Night ** (1953, Bonar Colleano, Andrew Ray, Sidney James, Ted Ray) – Classic Movie Review 12,571

The moderately successful if dour 1953 British crime thriller film Escape by Night stars Sid James as Gino Rossi, an Italian sex-racket crime boss on the run.

Writer-director John Gilling’s 1953 British black and white thriller Escape by Night stars Bonar Colleano, Andrew Ray, Sidney James, Ted Ray, Simone Silva, Avice Landone, and Patrick Barr.

Sidney James (in his then standard bad guy role before the Carry Ons made him a comedy film star) gives a serviceable turn as Gino Rossi, an Italian sex-racket king crime boss on the run, in this moderately successful if dour crime drama from producers Robert S Baker and Monty Berman.

Gino Rossi (James) is caught by cocky, alcoholic American journalist Tom Buchan (Bonar Colleano) in an old abandoned theatre, where he tells him his life story. Rossi promises Buchan the rights to his story in return for the former pilot Buchan flying him back to Italy.

Gilling writes and directs competently and flavourfully, but delivers the movie without any real zip or excitement. Barr is typecast but stalwart as the inspector on the case.

Also in the cast are Peter Sinclair, Ronald Adam, Martin Benson, Harry Towb, Eric Berry, and Ronan O’Casey.

Escape by Night is directed by John Gilling, runs 80 minutes, is made by Tempean/ Southall Studios, is released by Eros Films, is written by John Gilling, is shot by Monty Berman, is produced by Robert S Baker and Monty Berman, and is scored by Stanley Black.

It was released on December 1953.

Sidney James (born Solomon Joel Cohen; 8 May 1913 – 26 April 1976) .

Ironically Sid James became a leading member of the Carry On films team to replace Ted Ray, who had appeared in Carry On Teacher (1959). Ray was to have been a Carry On regular star, but he was dropped after just one film because of contractual problems. Sid James first became a comedy star as Tony Hancock’s co-star in Hancock’s Half Hour, first in the radio series and later when it was adapted for TV from 1954 to 1960.

Egyptian-born French film actress Simone Silva appeared in a handful of British B-movies during the 1950s but she was known more for her voluptuous figure and publicity-seeking. She made the headlines in a notorious incident at the 1954 Cannes Film Festival when she posed topless with Robert Mitchum for photographers. on 30 November 1957, she was found dead from a stroke in her London apartment, aged 29.

The cast are Bonar Colleano as Tom Buchan, Andrew Ray as Joey Weston, Sid James as Gino Rossi, Ted Ray as Mr Weston, Simone Silva as Rosetta Mantania, Patrick Barr as Inspector Frampton, Peter Sinclair as MacNaughton, Avice Landone as Mrs Weston, Ronald Adam as Tallboy, Eric Berry as Con Blair, Martin Benson as Guillio, Harry Towb as Reporter, Eric Berry, and Ronan O’Casey.

© Derek Winnert 2023 – Classic Movie Review 12,571

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