The Siege of Sidney Street (1960)

Directors:

Robert S. Baker
Monty Berman

Writers:

Alexander Baron
Jimmy Sangster (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

11 October 1960 (UK)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Gunmen Vs. The Army! The Bloodiest Battle in the History of Crime

Plot:

As armed police surround a house in the East End of London, a young lady under medical supervision nearby...

Plot Keywords:

Terrorism | Based On True Story | Independent Film

Cast

Donald Sinden	...	Mannering
Nicole Berger	...	Sara
Kieron Moore	...	Toska
Peter Wyngarde	...	Peter
Godfrey Quigley	...	Blakey
Tutte Lemkow	...	Dmitrieff
Bart Bastable	...	Sgt. Tucker
George Pastell	...	Brodsky
Angela Newman	...	Nina
T.P. McKenna	...	Lapidos
Maurice Good	...	Gardstein
James Caffrey	...	Hefeld
Harold Goldblatt	...	Hersh
Christopher Casson	...	Police Commissioner
Harry Brogan	...	Old Harry
Alan Simpson	...	Uniformed Police Inspector
Robert Lepler	...	Jeweller
Margaret D'Arcy	...	Nurse
Joe Lynch	...	Sgt. Todd
Stanley Illsley	...	Doctor in Peter's Room
Anne Sharp	...	Woman on Estate
Paul Farrell	...	Barman in Pub
Bill Foley	...	1st Interrogation Detective
Aiden Grennell	...	2nd Interrogation Detective
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Leonard Sachs	...	Svaars (uncredited)
Jimmy Sangster	...	Winston Churchill (uncredited)
Gerry Sullivan	...	Army Officer (uncredited)

Directed by
Robert S. Baker
Monty Berman

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Alexander Baron
Jimmy Sangster		screenplay
Jimmy Sangster		story

Produced by
Robert S. Baker	....	producer
Monty Berman	....	producer

Original Music by
Stanley Black

Cinematography by
Robert S. Baker
Monty Berman

Film Editing by
Peter Bezencenet

Production Design by
William Kellner

Set Decoration by
Freda Pearson

Makeup Department
Jill Carpenter	....	makeup artist
Betty Sherriff	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Ronald Liles	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Peter Manley	....	assistant director

Art Department
Noel Coade	....	prop master

Sound Department
Jeanne Henderson	....	dubbing editor
Sydney Wiles	....	sound mixer (as Sid Wiles)

Special Effects by
Cliff Richardson	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Chic Waterson	....	camera operator

Music Department
Stanley Black	....	musical director

Other crew
Phyllis Crocker	....	continuity

Production Companies

• Mid Century Film Productions Ltd.

Distributors

• Regal Films International (1960) (UK) (theatrical)
• United Producers Releasing Organization (1961) (USA) (theatrical)
• Screen Gems Television (19??) (USA) (TV) (syndication)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:A

Filming Locations:

Ardmore Studios, Herbert Road, Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland

Company:

Mid Century Film Productions Ltd.

Soundtrack:

Ya Vas Lyu-Blyu

Really good first half, a major dip and an OK finish

In London 1911 a stand off is sparked between Russian anarchists fund raising to help the fight to liberate Latvia and 100 police officers. A young woman trapped in the middle thinks back to the events that led up to the siege, mainly a failed robbery that results in the death of two of the anarchists.

The plot is a dramatised version of true events and it works quite well for the most part. The opening scene is excellent - violence from an innocent scene and the flashback to the events around the robbery are very tension and well handled. However once the investigation into this group begins it does get a bit too wordy and it feels like it's dragging a bit too much. However the final 20 minutes around the siege itself picks it up, although it isn't as good as the first 30/40 minutes.

The cast are quite good despite the fact that for the first half of the film the Russians are portrayed as thugs and nothing of the cause is explained. This is remedied in the second half in one or two scenes but by then the image of criminals is set. The `baddies' are all played by relatively unknown actors - I suspect no one established wanted to play an unsympathetic role at the time. By contrast a side role is played by British actor Donald Sinden (younger but instantly recognisable) and his part is beefed up for dramatic effect and to get his name up there.

Overall the film almost falls in on itself with the dip in the middle section. The opening 40 minutes are all very good and genuinely tense and exciting. However once the dip is past the final siege is competently delivered and entertaining. How much of this `dramatisation' is taken from a script and how much from fact I don't know, but I don't know too much more than I did before I saw it. Still an enjoyable drama-come-thriller anyway.