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Hell Is a City

  • 1960
  • 1h 33m
IMDb RATING
7.0/10
1.6K
YOUR RATING
Hell Is a City (1960)
In Britain, a Manchester police inspector becomes obsessed with capturing a criminal who escapes from prison.
Play trailer2:24
1 Video
20 Photos
CrimeThriller

In Britain, a Manchester police inspector becomes obsessed with capturing a criminal who escapes from prison.In Britain, a Manchester police inspector becomes obsessed with capturing a criminal who escapes from prison.In Britain, a Manchester police inspector becomes obsessed with capturing a criminal who escapes from prison.

  • Director
    • Val Guest
  • Writers
    • Val Guest
    • Maurice Procter
  • Stars
    • Stanley Baker
    • John Crawford
    • Donald Pleasence
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.0/10
    1.6K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Val Guest
    • Writers
      • Val Guest
      • Maurice Procter
    • Stars
      • Stanley Baker
      • John Crawford
      • Donald Pleasence
    • 36User reviews
    • 30Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 2 BAFTA Awards
      • 2 nominations total

    Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 2:24
    Trailer

    Photos20

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    Top cast33

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    Stanley Baker
    Stanley Baker
    • Det. Inspector Harry Martineau
    John Crawford
    John Crawford
    • Don Starling
    Donald Pleasence
    Donald Pleasence
    • Gus Hawkins
    Maxine Audley
    Maxine Audley
    • Julia Martineau
    Billie Whitelaw
    Billie Whitelaw
    • Chloe Hawkins
    Joseph Tomelty
    Joseph Tomelty
    • Furnisher Steele
    George A. Cooper
    George A. Cooper
    • Doug Savage
    Geoffrey Frederick
    • Det. Devery
    Vanda Godsell
    Vanda Godsell
    • Lucretia 'Lucky' Lusk
    Charles Houston
    Charles Houston
    • Clogger Roach
    Joby Blanshard
    Joby Blanshard
    • Tawny Jakes
    Charles Morgan
    Charles Morgan
    • Laurie Lovett
    Peter Madden
    Peter Madden
    • Bert Darwin
    Dickie Owen
    Dickie Owen
    • Bragg
    Lois Daine
    Lois Daine
    • Cecily
    Warren Mitchell
    Warren Mitchell
    • Commercial Traveller
    Sarah Branch
    • Silver Steele
    Alister Williamson
    Alister Williamson
    • Sam
    • (as Alastair Williamson)
    • Director
      • Val Guest
    • Writers
      • Val Guest
      • Maurice Procter
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews36

    7.01.5K
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    Featured reviews

    8movieman_kev

    another great film from Hammer

    Inspector Martineau knows in his gut that a recently escaped criminal will come back to the scene of the crime to recover the goods that he's stolen. It's up to him to piece together the new assignment that he's given and trace it back to the guilty party. Stanley Baker shines as Martineau (one year later Baker would be in one of the greatest war films ever with "The Guns of Navarone") in this taunt, gripping little crime thriller by Val Guest. All the minor characters are equally good. This is one film that I wouldn't mind revisiting. Another great film to come out of the sadly defunct Hammer studios.

    My Grade:B+

    DVD Extras: Commentary by Val Guest and Journalist Ted Newsom; Alternate Ending; Talent Bios for Val Guest and Stanley Baker; and Theatrical Trailer

    Eye Candy:a blink and you'll miss it Billy Whitelaw topless scene
    jeremyehowell

    A Good Un-British, British film.

    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.
    9hitchcockthelegend

    I don't play cards. I don't even touch coins.

    Out of Hammer Films, Hell is a City is directed by Val Guest, who also adapts the screenplay from Maurice Proctor's novel of the same name. It stars Stanley Baker, John Crawford, Billie Whitelaw, Maxine Audley, Donald Pleasence, Vanda Godsell, Joseph Tomelty and George A. Cooper. Music is by Stanley Black and cinematography in HammerScope is by Arthur Grant.

    When violent criminal Don Starling (Crawford) escapes from prison, Manchester cop Inspector Harry Martineau (Baker) correctly assumes he is on his way back to the area to collect some hidden loot from a previous job. Sure enough a serious crime rocks the city and all roads lead to Starling, but what price will Martineau pay to nail a man whose mere name strikes fear into the locals?

    Has some bastard been passing me snide money?

    British crime drama at its best, absorbing as a suspense tale, clinically unflinching in its characterisations and directed with a deft hand by the multi talented Val Guest. Hell is a City is without question a very British movie, but in the same way that greats like Brighton Rock and They made Me A Fugitive were Britannia Rule Grimarannia, so it be here where Guest makes the most of Manchester's gloomy locales to pump bad blood into the edgy narrative. It's a Manchester of creaky terraced houses, working class bars, soiled streets and the unforgiving Moors. The latter of which a visual beauty to the eye, but home of misery both in fact and fiction.

    A Starling in the Attic.

    Tale unfolds as a sort of warts and all semi-documentary police procedural. Harry Martineau is the lead man, but this is no cliché addled copper, he is a tough bastard who is not adverse to using strong arm and dishonest tactics to get results. He's a hero, of sorts, but the happiness he craves outside of his work, at home, is moving further away from him. He's not alone, either, for many of the vivid characters on show here are either life's losers, illicit gamblers, unfaithful wives, lonely hearts, or cheaters and beaters, and that's before we get to Crawford's villain. Don Starling infects everyone with his evil stink, a robber, a rapist and a murderer, he may not look much physically in Crawford's shoes, but his name, voice and mere appearance has all but Martineau in a cold sweat.

    If a man ain't got kids he's still fair game!

    The script is devoid of pointless filler and no scene is wasted, there's an air of realism throughout. Sure there's a little leap of faith to be taken at times, but nothing that remotely could hurt the movie. The performances are from the better end of the scale, with Baker excelling as a stoic, but lonely man of the force, and Whitelaw and Godsell impressively force themselves up above the parapet to be rightly noticed in a movie predominantly beefed by machismo. Could Don Starling have been played by a better actor? Yes of course. Or just have been played by someone more menacing in appearance (like Baker in his villain roles for instance)? Again, yes of course. But the more you watch the more you will see that it's a frightening portrayal because it's very human, just like that given to Harry Martineau.

    Some scenes shock and distress, others hold you and enthral, Hell is a City is one hell of a film and highly recommended to crime and noir fans. 9/10
    8lee_eisenberg

    Hammer noir

    Hammer Films, best known for horror movies, stepped into film noir with Val Guest's "Hell Is a City". Stanley Baker plays a police inspector who suspects that an escaped criminal will head for Manchester to collect some loot. The dreary look of the city is as much a character as any of the actors. The post-war British film industry wasn't generally known for these sorts of movies, but they did an excellent job here. The chase at the end of the movie is impressive but I thought that the most effective scene was the whole sequence where the criminal hides in the woman's house.

    I've liked every film noir that I've seen, but HIAC has to be one of the best. Baker's forceful performance as the hardened inspector is the epitome of acting. I recommend the movie.

    The rest of the cast includes Donald Pleasance (Dr. Loomis in the "Halloween" franchise), Billie Whitelaw (the nanny in "The Omen") and Joseph Tomelty (the father of Sting's ex-wife).
    Popey-6

    The Americanisation of British Crime

    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.

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The coin-tossing game (known as "two-up") was notorious for deceiving naive players. Such people assume the three outcomes, two heads, two tails, and a head-and-a-tail, to have equal likelihood, 33%. In fact a head-and-a-tail has 50% probability, and the others have 25%.
    • Goofs
      The dead girl on the moors appears to blink but in fact she doesn't and it is her hair blowing in front of her eyes which causes this illusion.
    • Quotes

      Inspector Martineau: You on or off duty?

      Devery: I'm just going off.

      Inspector Martineau: Come on, I'll buy you a drink.

      Devery: Well it's very nice of you, but I'm afraid...

      Inspector Martineau: Teach her to wait. That's one thing a policeman's girl must always learn.

    • Crazy credits
      "The production of this film was greatly assisted by the full cooperation of the Chief Constable and the members of the Manchester City Police Force, for which the producers wish to express their thanks." (opening credit)
    • Connections
      Featured in Charters & Caldicott: Not Cricket (1985)

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 13, 1960 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Hetzjagd
    • Filming locations
      • Refuge Assurance Building, Oxford Street, Manchester, Greater Manchester, England, UK(roof top chase)
    • Production companies
      • Associated British Picture Corporation (ABPC)
      • CEA Studios
      • Hammer Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    • Budget
      • £115,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 33 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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