| The Dark Light | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Directed by | Vernon Sewell |
| Written by | Vernon Sewell |
| Produced by | |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Moray Grant |
| Edited by | Francis Bieber |
| Music by | Frank Spencer |
| Production company | Hammer Films |
| Distributed by | Exclusive Films (UK) |
| Release date |
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| Running time | 75 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
The Dark Light is a 1951 British second feature thriller film directed and written by Vernon Sewell and starring Albert Lieven, David Greene and Norman Macowan.
Plot
The crew of a lighthouse take in what they assume to be the survivors of a shipwreck, but who turn out to be criminals on the run after a bank robbery.
Cast
- Albert Lieven as Mark
- David Greene as Johnny
- Norman Macowan as Rigby
- Martin Benson as Luigi
- Jack Stewart as Matt
- Katharine Blake as Linda
- Joan Carol as Joan
- John Harvey as Roger
- John Longden as Stephen
Production
It was filmed at a rented country estate in Gilston and on location around Portsmouth. Sewell used his own boat.
Critical reception
The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "A good setting and an adequate idea are wasted in a film which suffers from incoherent plot development, clumsy handling, and generally indifferent performances."
Picturegoer wrote: "An untidy and dilatory production with a lighthouse as the main setting. The lighthouse background is out of the ordinary, but the story is unconvincing, and both acting and dialogue are stilted."
Picture Show wrote: "'Somewhat highly coloured melodrama."
The Radio Times called it "dismal" writing: "Quota quickie veteran Vernon Sewell gets matters off to a promising start as a desperate gang of bank robbers are rescued from the stormy sea by a lighthouse crew. By tossing away the dramatic possibilities of the claustrophobic setting, however, he is unable to sustain more than a modicum of tension as the crew begin scheming to keep the swag for themselves, rather than let justice take its course."
References
- ^ Chibnall, Steve; McFarlane, Brian (2009). The British 'B' Film. London: BFI/Bloomsbury. p. 119. ISBN 978-1-8445-7319-6.
- "The Dark Light". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
- Fowler, Roy (8 July 1994). "Vernon Sewell". British Entertainment History Project.
- "The Dark Light". The Monthly Film Bulletin. 18 (204): 263. 1 January 1951 – via ProQuest.
- "The Dark Light". Picturegoer. 21: 18. 3 April 1951 – via ProQuest.
- "The Dark Light". Picture Show. 56 (1469): 10. 26 May 1951 – via ProQuest.
- "The Dark Light - Film from RadioTimes".
External links
| Films directed by Vernon Sewell | |
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