Bond of Fear is a 1956 British 'B'[1] crime drama film directed by Henry Cass and starring Dermot Walsh, Jane Barrett, and John Colicos.[2][3][4] The screenplay was by John Gilling and Norman Hudis.
Premise
John Sewell and his family are taken hostage by desperate fugitive Dewar who is a stowaway in their caravan.
Cast
- Dermot Walsh as John Sewell
- Jane Barrett as Mary Sewell
- John Colicos as Dewar
- Marilyn Baker as Ann Sewell
- Anthony Pavey as Michael Sewell
- Alan MacNaughtan as Detective Sergeant Daley
- Jameson Clark as Scotty
- John Horsley as motorcycle policeman
- Marianne Stone as Mrs. Simon
- Arnold Bell as Police Sergeant at road block
- Avril Angers as girl hiker
- Bill Shine as man hiker
- Peter Swanwick as travelling salesman
- Hal Osmond as hospital orderly
- Trevor Reid as Dover Police Inspector
- Alan Robinson as Dover immigration official
Critical reception
The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "A modest, competently made thriller which extracts a fair amount of suspense from its central situation and adds some conventional touches of policeman comedy. The playing is sound, with John Colicos making an effective villain."[5]
Kine Weekly wrote: "The film takes a picturesque route and the pleasant backgrounds artfully embroider its thrills, Dermot Walsh does a sound job as the menaced John, Jane Barrett acts with composure as Mary, John Colicos makes a hearty villain as Dewar, and Anthony Pavey and Marilyn Baker are natural as Michael Sr Ann, The police detail is illuminating and gives a realistic touch to salient situations and the tense climax. Suspenseful, yet completely innocuous, it should have been given the benefit of the U certificate."[6]
In British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959 David Quinlan rated the film as "mediocre", writing: "Repetitive drama just about passes the time."[7]
Chibnall and McFarlane in The British 'B' Film called the film a "moderately inventive thriller."[1]
References
- ^ a b Chibnall, Steve; McFarlane, Brian (2009). The British 'B' Film. London: BFI/Bloomsbury. p. 162. ISBN 978-1-8445-7319-6.
- ^ "Bond of Fear". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
- ^ "Bond of Fear (1956)". BFI. Archived from the original on 22 February 2019.
- ^ "Bond of Fear (1956) - Henry Cass | Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related | AllMovie" – via www.allmovie.com.
- ^ "Bond of Fear". The Monthly Film Bulletin. 23 (264): 75. 1 January 1956 – via ProQuest.
- ^ "Bond of Fear". Kine Weekly. 468 (2540): 25. 19 April 1956 – via ProQuest.
- ^ Quinlan, David (1984). British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959. London: B.T. Batsford Ltd. p. 1956. ISBN 0-7134-1874-5.
External links
- Bond of Fear at IMDb
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