Jan 6
The Last Man to Hang (1956)
"I strongly object to that question, my lord! It is not an honest question."
"Am I to understand that my learned friend accuses me of dishonesty?"
"My learned friend can understand what he pleases."
#the last man to hang#film noir#british cinema#1956#terence fisher#ivor montagu#max trell#gerald bullett#tom conway#elizabeth sellars#eunice gayson#freda jackson#hugh latimer#ronald simpson#walter hudd#raymond huntley#david horne#russell napier#martin boddey#victor maddern#anthony newley#minor brit noir starring a visibly tired Tom Conway (his career would start to wind down from this point as ill health and addiction caught#up with him). more interesting for the lengthy establishment of the minor characters who make up the jury in the film's courtroom drama#all played by character actors par excellence (the frequently under used Victor Maddern is a stand out as the one man of conscience) but#the film fails to properly follow through on these characters in any meaningful way and instead features a very rapid 12 Angry Men scene to#tie it all together. the romantic drama between Conway and his ladies (Sellars and Gayson‚ both very good but with little to do) is less#interesting. it all builds to a preposterously cheery ending which would have sunk the film entirely had Fisher not tipped his hat to the#nonsensical twist in an early scene. nothing very much to write home about here but it was a pleasant enough distraction i suppose
