The Criminal (1960 film)

For other uses, see The Criminal.

The Criminal
Directed by	Joseph Losey
Screenplay by	Alun Owen
Produced by	Nat Cohen
Starring	Stanley Baker Sam Wanamaker Grégoire Aslan Margit Saad
Cinematography	Robert Krasker
Edited by	Reginald Mills
Music by	John Dankworth
Production company	Merton Park Studios
Distributed by	Anglo-Amalgamated (UK)
Release date	October 28, 1960 (1960-10-28) (London)
Running time	97 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

The Criminal is a 1960 British neo-noir crime film produced by Nat Cohen and directed by Joseph Losey, starring Stanley Baker, Sam Wanamaker, Grégoire Aslan, and Margit Saad. Alun Owen wrote the screenplay, from a story by an uncredited Jimmy Sangster.

The film depicts a harsh and violent portrayal of prison life that led to the film being banned in several countries, including Finland.

It was released in the United States as The Concrete Jungle.

Plot

Bannion (Baker) is a career criminal with an entourage of minor criminals and fast girls. He plans a robbery at a racetrack and gets £40,000 - but in reality this is another crook's money. Word is spread of his responsibility and he is sent to prison, where he is a well known figure.

In prison the Italian boss Frank Saffron takes him under his wing and secures a move to a different block through claiming to be a Roman Catholic. He tells him the outside world wants their £40,000 back, but is prepared to give favours if he gets a cut. They make their plans whispering to each other during Sunday mass.

When one of the weaker inmates his planted with a blade he falls to his death in a scuffle with the guards and this triggers a prison riot. The other prison boss O'Hara is less sympathetic to Bannion. During the riot Bannion opens the door to let the guards back in and wins favour of the prison governor. He is transferred to a low security prison for his assistance but his booed by fellow inmates as he leaves.

During the transfer it is revealed that Bannion paid £40,000 for the riot and a "fast car". The car appears and drives the prison van off the road, rescuing Bannion.

Cast

• Stanley Baker as Johnny Bannion
• Sam Wanamaker as Mike Carter
• Grégoire Aslan as Frank Saffron
• Margit Saad as Suzanne
• Jill Bennett as Maggie
• Rupert Davies as Edwards
• Laurence Naismith as Mr Town
• John Van Eyssen as Formby
• Noel Willman as Prison Governor
• Derek Francis as Priest
• Redmond Phillips as Prison Doctor
• Kenneth J. Warren as Clobber
• Patrick Magee as Barrows
• Robert Adams as Judas
• Kenneth Cope as Kelly
• Patrick Wymark as Sol
• Jack Rodney as Scout
• John Molloy as Snipe
• Brian Phelan as Pauly Larkin
• Paul Stassino as Alfredo Fanucci
• Jerold Wells as Warder Brown
• Tom Bell as Flynn
• Neil McCarthy as O'Hara
• Keith Smith as Hanson
• Nigel Green as Ted
• Tom Gerard as Quantock
• Larry Taylor as Charles
• Murray Melvin as Antlers
• Edward Judd as Young warder
• Charles Lamb as Mr. Able
• Bob Grant as prisoner (uncredited)
• Danny Sewell (uncredited)

Production

Joseph Losey said he was handed a ready-made script. "It was a concoction of all the prison films Hollywood ever made", he said. "Both Stanley Baker and I refused to work until they let us write our own script. Which is what we did." He says the producers wanted a sequence where the criminals rob a race track but he felt that had been done in The Killing (1956) so he filmed it taking place off screen.

Reception

According to Losey the film was a commercial success. He said the film was banned in Ireland because so many of the prisoners were Irish Catholics.

The film was reportedly very successful in Paris.

External links

• The Criminal at IMDb
• The Criminal at Rotten Tomatoes
• The Criminal at BFI Screenonline