Hue and Cry (1947)

A gang of street boys foil a master crook who sends commands for robberies by cunningly altering a comic strip's wording each week, unknown to writer and printer. The first of the Ealing ... See full summary »

Director:

Charles Crichton

Writer:

T.E.B. Clarke (original screenplay)

Stars:

Alastair Sim, Frederick Piper, Harry Fowler

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Harry Fowler	...	Joe Kirby
Frederick Piper	...	Mr. Kirby
Vida Hope	...	Mrs. Kirby
Heather Delaine	...	Dorrie Kirby
Douglas Barr	...	Alec
Stanley Escane	...	Roy
Ian Dawson	...	Norman
Gerald Fox	...	Dicky
David Simpson	...	Arthur
Albert Hughes	...	Wally
John Hudson	...	Stan
David Knox	...	Dusty
Jeffrey Sirett	...	Bill
James Crabbe	...	Terry (as James Crabb)
Joan Dowling	...	Clarry

Storyline

A gang of street boys foil a master crook who sends commands for robberies by cunningly altering a comic strip's wording each week, unknown to writer and printer. The first of the Ealing comedies.

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Plot Keywords:

london locations | year 1946 | 1940s | london england | england | 

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Genres:

Adventure | Comedy | Crime

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Did You Know?

Trivia

Film debut of Dandy Nichols.

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Goofs

When the Rhona Davis character is being tied up, a part of the rope goes around her neck. Next shot the rope is lower. Also the amount of rope around her changes after the children discover the letter to her other name, Rhona Watson.

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Quotes

[Joe has pleaded with Wilkinson to write a story to entrap the crooks; Wilkinson will have to stay up all night to write it]
Felix H. Wilkinson: Oh, how I loathe adventurous-minded boys.

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Crazy Credits

In the opening titles, written in chalk as graffiti on a wall, the name of the director Charles Crichton has been modified to King Charles Crichton.

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Connections

Featured in Tuesday's Documentary: The Ealing Comedies or Kind Hearts and Overdrafts (1970)

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Soundtracks

Oh For the Wings of A Dove
(uncredited)
Music by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy
Arranged by Ernest Irving

User Reviews

A nostalgic movie, brightened by scenes of London's blitzed buildings, before developers began to pour unsightly concrete.

I found a copy of this movie in my local (Phoenix, Arizona) used book store. Ah, bliss! The sights of old London, albeit somewhat bomb-damaged, before the developers started to build ugly tower blocks. The movie itself is excellent, with good characterization for the 'kids', although Jack Warner's role as the villain seems a little overblown. Alistair Sim's role as the nervous author of comic books is an excellent vignette, showing his trademark nervous twitchy smile. The final chase and confrontation, at "Ballard's Wharf", reputedly in Wapping, was actually filmed on the opposite side of the river, as can be scene in the long shots, where St. Paul's cathedral can be seen.

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 October 1947 (Belgium)

Also Known As:

Houdt den dief!

Filming Locations:

Former bomb-site between Queen Street Place and Cousin Lane, London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ealing Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

82 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1