Out of the Fog (1962)

Police Supt. Chadwick (John Arnatt) has a mad killer on the loose who targets young blonde women walking across an area of waste ground known as 'The Flats' on each night of the full moon. His chief suspect is ex- jailbird and juvenile delinquent George Mallon (David Sumner) who lives at a hostel for just released prisoners run by the kindly Tom Daniels (James Hayter). Mallon was seen quarreling with one of the victims, the shop worker Muriel Masterson, who had been dating him but dumped him when she found out about his past. However, the problem is that he has a rock solid alibi which is verified so Chadwick recruits a young WPC called June Lock (Susan Travers) to work undercover at the furnishing company where Mallon has landed a job. The plan is for her to win his confidence in the hope he will go on a date with her and, if he is the killer, lure her out to The Flats and attempt to kill her; only Chadwick and his men will be monitoring their movements closely and catch him in the act. Is Mallon really Chadwick's psychopath or is it a case of the police and everybody in town wanting it to be him no matter what because of his surly manner and troubled past?British b-pic director Montgomery Tully was one of the most persistent filmmakers in his field who would bend over backwards to make something worthwhile out of even the most unpromising of material. This 1962 Eternal production for whom he made one of his best thrillers, The Third Alibi in 1961, is setback by its small budget that means it is trapped within the confines of a few tiny studio bound, indoorsy sets. It very rarely gets outside at all and relies on talk rather than action - the murders happen off screen - and it runs the risk of being unbearably tedious as a result of that.However, it is rescued by the director's decision in the script he co- wrote with producer Maurice J Wilson to place its emphasis on character. It's basic plot about a manhunt for a crazed moonlight killer takes a back seat and focuses on the plight of the young tearaway suspected of committing the murders. Competently played by David Sumner, Mallon earns our sympathy as it soon becomes clear that everybody in the town, as well as the cops, automatically assume he is a criminal lunatic because of his troubled past. In fact, they more or less want it to be him even though he has an unshakable alibi! We can see that Mallon is looking to go straight and asks his mother who has disowned him to give him another chance, but she rejects him. We understand the reasons for his apparent insolence, defensiveness and surly manner: he thinks the whole world is against him. Funnily enough, it is the young WPC sent to trap him who genuinely believes that he's not such a bad lad underneath it all and takes rather a shine to him. She spots his talent for drawing when nobody else cares and puts him on to a professional artist who could get him a job. Yet, in a sombre ending, in which he twigs that she is an undercover cop he is left with his negative and pessimistic view of life and his fellow human beings.At the climax, the suspense suddenly springs into life after it has been lacking throughout in which Mallon lures June on to The Flats acting in a frightening and suspicious manner making her question that she was perhaps wrong about him all along. In a spine chilling moment on the fog shrouded Flats, the killer nearly claims her as his next victim and we discover the truth about the George Mallon who everyone thought was bad news.

Under-rated, unpretentious B-movie that keeps you guessing till the end. David Sumner's 'surly' and unlikeable lead grows on you once you realise that he never lets up; and the ending doesn't let you down. An uncompromising gem. Made on the cheap, for sure - they even stint on the fog - and Montgomery Tully was a hit-and-miss director at best, but this film is about ten years ahead of its time and still has a kind of individualism that weathers the fifty-or-so years that have elapsed since then rather well. From prison to a halfway house to eventual employment to a tentative relationship with a woman who ditches our 'hero' as soon as she finds out about his criminal past ...and then a trap is set, for he is under constant suspicion. This is one of those stories where much of the 'important' stuff -the killings, the planning of a heist- happens off-screen. And it's all the better for it.

1962's "Out of the Fog," issued in the US under its original source title, "Fog for a Killer," showed up on Pittsburgh's CHILLER THEATER on October 13 1979. Both titles lead one to believe it will be an atmospheric thriller about a madman who preys on helpless blonde women during the light of the full moon, cleverly hiding from detection in the foggy night. Unfortunately, the police investigation rarely strays from the office of the Superintendent (John Arnatt), focusing exclusively on a belligerent ex con (David Sumner) who can spot a 'copper' a mile away. All of the murders take place off screen, no other characters are regarded as genuine suspects, and most disappointing of all, there is no fog to be seen anywhere until the final reel of this 66 minute quickie. Although the police discover that the crimes are committed every four weeks, each time the moon is full, this too is a tantalizing detail that goes nowhere. Definitely not a horror film, and unsatisfying even as a mystery, benefiting from a fine supporting cast, including James Hayter, Jack Watson, and a blonde Susan Travers ("The Snake Woman," "The Abominable Dr. Phibes"), plus Hammer regulars Michael Ripper and George Woodbridge. Unseen on television for decades, this is now available on Region 2 DVD, on a double bill with another British melodrama centering on an ex con, 1954's "Radio Cab Murder."

this is a dark, gritty drama i was lucky enough to tape late one night about 15 years ago. the music is fantastic. the acting and direction superb and the writing impeccable. i have never seen it shown since...if you see it listed late one night and appreciate finding great unknown films-tape it!