Don't Talk to Strange Men
| Don't Talk to Strange Men | |
|---|---|
.jpg) British quad poster | |
| Directed by | Pat Jackson |
| Screenplay by | Gwen Cherrell |
| Produced by | Derick Williams |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Stephen Dade |
| Edited by | Helen Wiggins |
Production company | A Derick Williams Production |
| Distributed by | Bryanston Films (UK) |
Release date |
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Running time | 65 min |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | £21,690[1] |
Don't Talk to Strange Men is a 1962 black and white British crime thriller film directed by Pat Jackson and produced at Marylebone Film Studios and on location in Buckinghamshire.[2]
Plot[edit]
As a prologue an unseen driver gives a lift to a woman. He attacks her. We next see her body being discovered by children playing in a hay shed.
Jean, a teenage schoolgirl waits for a bus on a quiet country lane. The telephone in a nearby call box rings and she answers it. She is fascinated by the conversation with a man and agrees to chat again the next day. The bus arrives (a double decker) and Jean discusses the situation with the conductress, Molly.
In the Painter house Ann, the precocious younger daughter, decides she does not want to eat the rabbit which he shot. Jean gets home safely and the father lectures her regarding talking to strange men. Jean and Ann share a bedroom and she tells Ann of the phone call, romantically envisaging what the caller might look like.
The next day at the same time and place the 'phone rings again and she eagerly answers. He ensures she is alone. She falls in love with the unseen man, but gives a false name: Samantha.
On the third day he doesn't call at the normal time. She doesn't take the bus when it comes, hoping he will still call, but misses the eventual call when a woman (Mrs Mason) uses the 'phone box. She goes back to The Chequers, the pub where she has been babysitting, and Ron rings her dad to come and collect her.
On the fourth day the man calls, but is annoyed about her missing the previous day. He seems to hang up. A man appears in a sports car and wants to use the call box. The man rings back and says he got cut off. He chats her up and says how much he loves her voice. They arrange to meet the next day at 9.50. She promises to tell no-one and promises not to talk to strange men.
Dad bans her from going to so remote a spot on the critical night, but she pretends to go into town with her sister to go to the cinema. She convinces Ann to cover for her, and, on the way to the rendezvous, confesses to the bus conductress her plan to meet the man. Molly is unimpressed and warns her not to meet him, but she gets off at the remote call box. A drunk man wanders up the lane; she becomes frightened and goes into a field and hides in a shed. She daydreams about the man's voice. She then thinks about her sister. Ann, becoming increasingly worried about her sister, leaves the cinema.
The man goes into The Chequers and orders a brandy from Ron. We only see him from behind, but it is his voice and he asks to use the 'phone at 9.50pm. Ironically Jean scares herself and runs to The Chequers. She sees his face (we do not). She watches as he calls the 'phone box. Ann has arrived at the 'phone box and she answers but says little. Ann 'phones the police to come to the call box. Jean tells Ron the story and calls the call box. She struggles to remember the number. Ann answers and is told to hide but it is too late; the caller has arrived. He thinks it is Samantha and drags her to his car and races off. Ron arrives and stops the car and fights the man. The police arrive.
We never see the face of the man.
Cast[edit]
- Christina Gregg as Jean Painter
- Janina Faye as Ann Painter
- Cyril Raymond as Mr. Painter
- Gillian Lind as Mrs. Painter
- Conrad Phillips as Ron
- Dandy Nichols as Molly the bus conductor
- Gwen Nelson as Mrs. Mason
- Robin Hunter as the man in the sports car
Critical reception[edit]
In the Radio Times, Tony Sloman wrote "This worthy little feature with a social message is more interesting now for its depiction of early 1960s Britain," and concluded that "director Pat Jackson's thriller still has relevance today."[3]
References[edit]
- ^ Petrie, Duncan James (2017). "Bryanston Films : An Experiment in Cooperative Independent Production and Distribution" (PDF). Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television: 7. ISSN 1465-3451.
- ^ "Don't Talk to Strange Men". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
- ^ "Don't Talk to Strange Men – review | cast and crew, movie star rating and where to watch film on TV and online". Radio Times.
