The Large Rope

Donald Houston stars in "The Long Rope" from 1953, also starring Susan Shaw, Robert Brown, Peter Byrne, Richard Warner, and Vanda Godsell.

After spending time in prison, Tom Penney (Houston) returns to his home town. His ex-girlfriend is marrying someone else; his father doesn't want him in the house; and as soon as the local floozy is murdered, he gets the blame.

Donald Houston reminded me of a homely version of Ingo Rademacher, an actor on General Hospital, and a young Lloyd Bridges. He certainly evoked sympathy in the role.

Interesting look at guilty until proven innocent in a small English town.

Seven years later this film's director & cameraman made 'Village of the Damned' from John Wyndham's 'The Midwich Cuckoos'. This earlier film has a more conventional plot (it's easy to guess whodunnit, for example) but the mood and look compares favourably with classic French rural dramas of the previous decade like 'Le Corbeau' and 'Panique'.

A large and largely unfamiliar cast include one of the first film appearances by Edward Judd and one of the last when she was still an unknown bit player by Katie Johnson.

Released from prison after serving a 3 year sentence for a crime which he did not commit, Tom Penney returns to his village only to find himself shunned by the locals and his former girlfriend about to get married. When a local girl is murdered, the finger points at him.

Decent rural crime drama, which rises above its typically low budget, with an unexpected twist before the end. Good use is made of the scenery and there are some familiar names in the cast which is headed by Donald Houston as the tense Penney and Susan Shaw as his ex.

Donald Houston who plays Tom Penney, is released after three years from prison for a crime of serious assault, which he alleges he didn't commit. However, despite being 'inside' he rashly decides to return to the village where the young woman who accused him of assaulting her is still living. Needless to say many of the villagers are not so keen to 'forgive and forget' Penney's crime, and within a short while are not afraid to show their verbal hostility to the ex con. Matters are not helped when a young, attractive women is found strangled in the woods, and very quickly village suspicion turns to Penney. The storyline rattles along at a good pace and with the arrival of the police, Penney now faces the wrath of the village as well as intense questioning by the police. Sadly, it is at this point, that the storyline gets bogged down as if the director is looking for a way to develop a successful second half of the film but is uncertain how to sustain the drama, with the result that the film runs out of steam. The ending is frankly disappointing! The real killer was easy to identify, and the inept policing handling of the murder investigation is embarrassing. An Americans director would have given Houston more edge to his character as he becomes a potential victim of the village vigilante mob. Also, Houston would have been snarling at the police, as well as the villagers as his innocence is proved beyond doubt, An angry, rebellious Donald Houston, walking away at disgust at his accusers would have been thoroughly justified and merited, but the director decides to let the villagers off the hook. A lame ending to a film which could have been far more dramatic!

A subject as old of the hill : the ex-convict, unfairly imprisoned , who comes back to his native village where he is not the welcome; he is definitely an outcast, and his place is no longer among the well-respected people ;only his mother and his old flame still trusts him .

The movie is too short and too hurried for comfort ,but it is an estimable work : pay attention to the girlies the newcomer unwittingly scares, it's one the details which urges the villagers to take the law in their own hand ,after a murder which takes place just at the moment when the unfortunate young guy arrives .The chase across the streets which may lead to a lynching is the best moment ,but the ending seems botched .