Daybreak

When the story begins, the executioner at a British prison refuses to carry out the sentence on a main awaiting his maker. To explain why, he describes a series events which make up the rest of the film.

It seems that Eddie (Eric Portman) has just inherited a barge business from his estranged father. A bit later, he meets and falls in love with Frankie (Ann Todd) and they soon marry. However, one of Eddie's employees, Olaf (Maxwell Reed), is a creepy guy who has designs on Frankie....and wherever Eddie goes out of town on business, Olaf shows up and creeps out Frankie. Eventually, he ends up attacking her. Eddie finds out but assumes she was Olaf's lover and a huge fight breaks out. What happens next...well...see the film for yourself.

While this is generally a very good film, I wish that the characters hadn't hemmed and hawed about Olaf. Frankie keeps telling her husband not to go away on business and that she doesn't like Olaf...but no more. And, oddly, Eddie doesn't even ask WHY! These seem a bit odd. Now I am not saying it's a bad film....but odd in how it handles this situation. And no, I am not victim blaming....just that the folks' actions seemed odd.

Overall, a very sad film. Well made, generally, but a real downer in most every way.

I reckon this has to be the best outing for Ann Todd ("Frankie") that I've seen. Here she plays the girlfriend of Eric Portman ("Eddie") who is really a hangman, but who doesn't want her to know so pretends to be a salesman to explain his frequent, and often overnight, absences from their home on a barge he has inherited. It's during one of those absences that she finds herself the focus of the unwarranted attentions of the rather uncouth "Olaf" (Maxwell Reed) and... Compton Bennett has created a clever piece of cinema here; we are given much of the bones of the story but have to come to a few of our own conclusions as tragedy ensues. According to the BBFC, the film wasn't cut at the time but it doesn't look like it - there are gaps that sort of make sense, but there are quite a few that clearly don't and that disjoints the narrative and occasionally spoils what is otherwise a complex tale. Well worth a gander.

If you prefer films that are upbeat, positive and have a feel good air, then best to avoid this at all costs. However, for anyone who looks for a good storyline, with excellent casting and production values, then "Daybreak" is a rare gem. The story is both simple, and yet convoluted, but does break away from a lot of run of the mill stuff from that era of the late-40's. The only glaring problem, which detracts from making this film something of a minor classic, is the fact that it is obviously quite heavily censored. This simply results in some scenes becoming disjointed, and the flow of the film disrupted. However, this does not serve to spoil the film, but is a definite irritant. The ensemble playing by the cast is uniformly excellent. Eric Portman was always well worth watching, and Ann Todd probably produces her finest performance on screen. Edward Rigby and Bill Owen provide fine support, and that master of suppressed menace, Maxwell Reed, gives a typically dark and brooding performance, despite the dodgy Scandinavian accent! The film is not always easy to find, but is a rewarding experience for those that do find it. Just don't expect a joyous outcome!

Eric Portman answers an advertisement in the newspaper. His estranged father has died without a will, so he has inherited his fleet of 15 barges. Now that he has some money, he gives his half of the barber shop to Bill Owen. His other job, as a hangman, will take him about six months to work off his current obligations.

Quietly celebrating, he meets Ann Todd. They chat and a timid, misused creature is revealed. They marry and move onto one of the barges. She doesn't like his business trips out of town -- he claims it's for barge contracts; he never tells anyone what it's actually for, except Owen. She likes it even less when Scandinavian Maxwell Reed takes an interest in her that is considerably less avuncular than Edward Rigby.

With a title like this one has, you can tell it's going to be a rather heavy-handed drama, an English Shomin-Geki, and that's what you get. Both leads are acting outside their comfort zones; Portman speaks in clipped monosyllables, and Miss Todd uses a Cockney accent that fades out by the end. Still, there's some heavy-duty acting chops involved, and it works pretty well.

Daybreak is totally fascinating - the kind of movie you can stare at, open mouthed, for the full hour and a half. Ann Todd as always is wonderful, but this has to be one of her best performances by far. Apparently a lot of the movie was cut by the censors upon its release leaving gaps in the story, and you do get this sense at least with Todd's character - there's a slight hint that she may have been a prostitute but this isn't followed through and is just forgotten.

Without spoiling the ending - and don't read the plot summary before you see the film! - this is one of the most heartbreaking shows of misunderstanding ever. Todd lives with husband Eric Portman on a barge and his business sends him away for long periods of time, leaving her along with the very seedy Norwegian "Olaf", and leaving it up to the audience to guess what he does to her. One night she begs her husband to stay, or take her with him, but he can't, and yet she won't tell him why. He comes home and finds Olaf present, but unfortunately gets the wrong idea about why he is there.

It's a shame so much was cut from this fine film, but what is left is sufficient to garner it a 10/10. The scene especially where Todd and Portman meet is an utter delight!