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Pit of Darkness

  • 1961
  • 1h 16m
IMDb RATING
6.2/10
247
YOUR RATING
Pit of Darkness (1961)
CrimeThriller

Richard Logan, the partner in a safe making firm, is found unconscious on an old deserted bomb site. After regaining consciousness, he realizes that he has no recollection of the previous th... Read allRichard Logan, the partner in a safe making firm, is found unconscious on an old deserted bomb site. After regaining consciousness, he realizes that he has no recollection of the previous three weeks. Then he discovers that a private detective hired by his wife has been found mur... Read allRichard Logan, the partner in a safe making firm, is found unconscious on an old deserted bomb site. After regaining consciousness, he realizes that he has no recollection of the previous three weeks. Then he discovers that a private detective hired by his wife has been found murdered and a safe that his firm installed in a large country house has been cleverly opened... Read all

  • Director
    • Lance Comfort
  • Writers
    • Lance Comfort
    • Hugh McCutcheon
  • Stars
    • William Franklyn
    • Moira Redmond
    • Bruno Barnabe
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    6.2/10
    247
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Lance Comfort
    • Writers
      • Lance Comfort
      • Hugh McCutcheon
    • Stars
      • William Franklyn
      • Moira Redmond
      • Bruno Barnabe
    • 16User reviews
    • 2Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos

    Pit of Darkness (1961)
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    Top cast

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    William Franklyn
    William Franklyn
    • Richard
    Moira Redmond
    Moira Redmond
    • Julie
    Bruno Barnabe
    • Bruno
    Leonard Sachs
    Leonard Sachs
    • Conrad
    Nigel Green
    Nigel Green
    • Jonathan
    Bruce Beeby
    • Peter Mayhew
    Humphrey Lestocq
    • Bill
    Anthony Booth
    Anthony Booth
    • Ted
    Nanette Newman
    Nanette Newman
    • Mary
    Michael Balfour
    Michael Balfour
    • Fisher
    Jacqueline Jones
    Jacqueline Jones
    • Mavis
    Ronnie Hall
    • Singer
    Edmund Bailey
    • Waiter
    • (uncredited)
    Dave Clark
    Dave Clark
    • Nightclub Musician
    • (uncredited)
    Elizabeth Ellis
    • Bit Part
    • (uncredited)
    Peter Evans
    • Nightclub Dancer
    • (uncredited)
    Peter Fontaine
    • Carter
    • (uncredited)
    Frank Hawkins
    • Taxi Driver
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Lance Comfort
    • Writers
      • Lance Comfort
      • Hugh McCutcheon
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      A pre-fame appearance by The Dave Clark Five in the nightclub run by Conrad.
    • Goofs
      When Richard is forced into the back of the Mercedes, the shadow of a boom mic is visible on the car's bodywork when the camera pans down prior to the getaway.
    • Quotes

      Waiter: First rule of the night club, sir: never discuss your employers

    • Connections
      Featured in Truly, Madly, Cheaply!: British B Movies (2008)
    • Soundtracks
      My Heart is the Lover
      Composed by Martin Slavin

      Lyrics by Abbe Gail

      Sung by Ronnie Hall

    User reviews16

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10
    Franklyn towers above better than average British B noir
    William Franklyn, whose voiceover of Schweppes adverts would become a TV feature, posts a highly convincing performance here, hardly ever leaving the screen, and somehow reminding me of a younger Rex Harrison. He certainly looks suitably bamboozled to begin with, as he carefully pieces together his three weeks' absence from work and home.

    Director Lance Comfort, about whom I am embarrassed to admit I know nothing, intelligently puts together a maze of flashbacks and throws in quite a few suspects until Logan (Franklyn) works out the enigma - and that begins with firm partner "enigmatically" telling him about the Ethiope's Ear, subsequently identified as the 250,000 quid diamond stolen from a tycoon called Tuscan.

    Why that partner knows that crucial detail, and even recites it to him in his wife's presence - lovely Moira Redmond - is never explained and has to go down as a big minus, costing my rating one star. It deliberately deceives the viewer and detracts from the plot's credibility.

    Otherwise, logical incidents advance a riveting and fluid story line, cinematography by Emmot and editing by Trumper are first class, and even the recurrent song, My Heart Is the Lover, by Martin Slavin, is really catchy.

    Leonard Sachs plays the foreign-accented villain unctuously enough.

    Not perfect, no masterpiece, but no waste of 79'. Recommended viewing if you like film noir.
    helpful•0
    0
    • adrianovasconcelos
    • Apr 24, 2023

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 1961 (United Kingdom)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Der Mann, der einen Mord vergaß
    • Filming locations
      • Courtfield Gardens, London S W 5(Mavis' s flat)
    • Production companies
      • The Rank Organisation
      • Butcher's Film Service
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 16 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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