Gaolbreak ** (1962, Peter Reynolds, Avice Landone, David Kernan, Carol White) – Classic Movie Review 12,771

Director Francis Searle’s interesting if routine 1962 British crime B-movie Gaolbreak stars Peter Reynolds, Avice Landone, David Kernan and Carol White.

Avice Landone plays Mrs Wallis, a mother with two criminal sons, Eddie (Peter Reynolds) and Ron (David Gregory), who use a newsagent’s shop as a front. They plan to rob an auctioneer’s safe, but safecracking expert Ron Gregory is arrested and jailed, so Mrs Wallis makes plans to break him out so he can take part in the robbery. Carol White turns up as Carol Marshall, the pregnant girlfriend of Len Rogerson (David Kernan), who reluctantly becomes involved in the job.

Gaolbreak is a cheaply made, not entirely convincing, small-scale British 60s thriller film, but it is efficient, lively and painless enough thanks to the reasonable acting of the nice cast and Searle’s snappily smart direction.

Also in the cast are John Blythe, Robert Desmond, and Geoffrey Hibbert.

The film is made by Butcher’s Film Service, and released by Butcher’s Film Distributors, playing as a supporting feature to Tiara Tahiti (1962).

It is shot at Twickenham Studios in West London, and on location. The sets are designed by Duncan Sutherland.

It is a rare film star role for David Kernan, best known as a stage interpreter of the songs of Stephen Sondheim, particularly in Side by Side by Sondheim. At the time of Gaolbreak, he was appearing on TV in That Was the Week That Was (1962–1963).

David Kernan died on 26 December 2023, aged 85. Boxing Day. His X account revealed: ‘It is with the heaviest of hearts to announce that dear David has passed away peacefully. In this time of such sadness, we shall think of the wonderful man he was, and the truly fantastic career that he had on stage, and on screen. God Bless.’

He appeared in a number of films, including Gaolbreak (1962), Mix Me a Person (1962), Farewell Performance (1963), Zulu (1964), Otley (1968), Up the Chastity Belt (1971), Carry On Abroad (1972) and The Day of the Jackal (1973).

On TV he had notable guest roles in two episodes of The Avengers and appeared in Up Pompeii.

Gaolbreak is directed by Francis Searle, runs 61 minutes, is made by Butcher’s Film Service, is released by Butcher’s Film Distributors, is written by A R Rawlinson, is shot by Ken Hodges, is produced by Francis Searle and Ronald Liles, is scored by Johnny Gregory, and designed by Duncan Sutherland.

The cast are Peter Reynolds as Eddie Wallis, Avice Landone as Mrs Wallis, David Kernan as Len Rogerson, Carol White as Carol Marshall, John Blythe as Slim, David Gregory as Ron Wallis, Robert Desmond as Page, Stewart Guidotti as John, Geoffrey Hibbert as Dr Cambus, Robert Fyfe as Wally, Carl Bernard as Inspector Brand, Katharine Page as Mrs Harris, Sidney Vivian as Mr Marshall, Marianne Stone as Mrs. Marshall, Ivor Dean as Barrington, André Mikhelson as Martinetti, Middleton Woods as Jonah, Reginald Hearne as auctioneer, Edward Ogden as Det Sgt Johnson, Frank Hawkins as prison officer, Neil Wilson as beat PC, Jack Taylor as uniformed policeman, John H Watson as 2nd uniformed policeman, Michael Beint as 2nd prison officer, Laurie Leigh as Shirley, and Angela Ramsden as Hazel.

© Derek Winnert 2023 – Classic Movie Review 12,771

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