Hell Is a City (1960)

Local bad boy Don Starling has busted out of the big house determined to return to Manchester and claim his ill gotten gains. Nemesis detective Martineau ( Stanley Baker) is certain he will return and when a botched robbery resulting in murder takes place he is certain Starling has something to do with it even though superiors doubt it. Hell is a City is comprised of one abrasive conversation after another whether dealing with desperate characters or disinterested wives. Everyone seems under pressure as they trade curt sentences between each other with very little development of character over the long haul. Martineau is clearly married to his job since his relationship with his wife is remote at best while he fends off flirtations from others. The males en masse mostly snarl and complain while the women are reduced to being either cold, seductive cheaters or in one case dead. After a few improbable coincidences Martineau and Starling meet high above Manchester on a rooftop locked in mortal combat. It is the most dramatic scene in the film that showcases its true star, the industrial city of Manchester as backdrop but director Val Guest fumbles this as well and Hell is a City fails to dig any deeper into its outline than an hour episode of Naked City and its emphasis on the urban mean streets.

Well-made noirish drama involving a prison escapee returning to Manchester to collect the loot from the theft that landed him behind bars. Val Guest's direction is spot on - he really knew how to tell a story. Stanley Baker is a standout as the conflicted cop that's obsessed with his work - is tired of his wife - and is in love with another woman. Equally good is John Crawford as the truly menacing criminal. The rest of the cast does a great job. The filming in and around Manchester was an added bonus and gave the film greater authenticity. I recommend this to anyone that enjoys the genre.

This is a wonderful example of how worldly some british films can seem, while maintaining their local flavor. I believe that this film is very appropriately set in Manchester, anyone having been to Manchester will tell you its quite a tough place.50s British entertainment was heavily influenced by Hollywood and continued to be influenced especially on TV until the late 70s, when things all started to get a bit colorless. This movie was made in a time when entertainment came first and the needs of the audience and hence a box office return, came before the politically correct requirements of the day. Having said that I have to say I'm VERY glad that you don't see many characters quite as sorry as Martineau's repressed housebound wife these days!For those who are not familiar with director Val Guest - check out his other movies. He was a director who knew exactly what he was doing.

No other film of this period gives such a clear indication of the attempt of British crime thrillers to become more exciting.The introduction of John Crawford as the American bad guy and one time buddy of Stanley Baker is enthralling to watch and can seem slightly odd and out of place. The opening sequences are reminiscent of British TV show 'Z Cars' and were later spoofed in Naked Gun (though not as a direct result of this).Donald Pleasance is very reliable as the Jewellry Shop owner who has much to reveal, while Baker himself plays another tough cop as he did in Blind Date (1959) and Violent Playground (1958) - the latter was also directed by Val Guest.Look out for the climactic sequences - gripping stuff and still ever so British.