I Became a Criminal (1947)

After WW2, former RAF airman Clem Morgan joins a gang of black-market smugglers-thieves but when a robbery goes wrong, Clem is caught , framed for a policeman's murder, and is sent to prison where he plots his escape and revenge.

Director:

Alberto Cavalcanti (as Cavalcanti)

Writers:

Jackson Budd (novel), Noel Langley (screenplay)

Stars:

Sally Gray, Trevor Howard, Griffith Jones

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sally Gray	...	Sally
Trevor Howard	...	Clem
Griffith Jones	...	Narcy
Rene Ray	...	Cora
Mary Merrall	...	Aggie
Charles Farrell	...	Curley
Michael Brennan	...	Jim
Jack McNaughton	...	Soapy
Cyril Smith	...	Bert
John Penrose	...	Shawney
Eve Ashley	...	Ellen
Phyllis Robins	...	Olga
Bill O'Connor	...	Bill
Maurice Denham	...	Mr. Fenshaw
Vida Hope	...	Mrs. Fenshaw

Storyline

In this gritty film noir, cynical ex-RAF flyer Morgan, bored with civilian life, joins a break-in gang led by Narcy. On his first job, the getaway car crashes after killing a policeman. Morgan is framed as the driver and sent to jail. Seeking revenge, he escapes and heads for London. Along the way he's helped by a woman (Mrs. Fenshaw), who wants him to murder her husband. In London, Morgan is sheltered by Sally, who falls in love with him. He confronts Narcy and the gang in an abandoned warehouse. Brazilian Director Cavalcanti's crime drama should not be confused with the totally unrelated "They Made Me a Criminal" (1939).

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Plot Keywords:

british noir | frame up | character says i believe you thousands wouldn't | gang | murder | 

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Taglines:

Gangway for Gangland's Blazing Guns!

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

Trevor Howard was cast at very short notice after the actor first cast dropped out.

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Goofs

Morgan, unconscious in the accident after the policeman is run down, is framed when the thugs pull him over to the driver's seat. But they do not press his fingers onto the steering wheel, so there is no evidence that he was the driver.

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Quotes

Mrs. Fenshaw: Nobody will arrest you while you are in this house. I give you my word.
Clem: Why? Have you fallen in love with my beautiful wavy hair?
Mrs. Fenshaw: No. You can do me a service in return for helping you.

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Soundtracks

Caress Me
(uncredited)
Performed on-stage by Phyllis Robins and others

User Reviews

Of course those Brits can do noir

The truth of the matter is that they did a bang-up job in emulating American noir and gangster type films. Why not, the American stuff was going great guns on that side of the pond.

This was pretty heavy stuff for 1947. References to cocaine, brutality towards women, and such goodies are noticeable here. Also noticeable is the noir type anti-hero magnificently portrayed by Trevor Howard, and lots and I do mean lots of shadows.

A rooftop scene was undoubtedly the prototype and inspiration for later movies such as To Catch A Thief.

Don't confuse this with the earlier Hollywood movie, They Made Me A Criminal, which featured John Grfield and the Dead End Kids. There's no similarity between those two films.

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 March 1948 (USA)

Also Known As:

I Became a Criminal

Filming Locations:

Alliance Studios, Hammersmith, London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., A.R. Shipman Productions, Alliance Films Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1