The Frightened City

'The Frightened City' is an interesting crime drama set in a pre-Beatles England featuring a strong performance from Sean Connery, the year before he became a movie legend as James Bond. Connery plays Paddy Damion a thief who is recruited by a mobster (Alfred Marks) to oversee his money collection. Paddy is no thug but takes the job because his partner (Kenneth Griffith) has been injured in a robbery and he feels obligated to support him. Marks is actually the puppet of criminal mastermind Zhernikov (Herbert Lom), who has the image of a respectable businessman, but is in fact manipulating the local mobsters for his own ends. Add to this mix the beautiful Anya (Yvonne Romain), wanna be singer and Zhernikov's mistress, who Paddy immediately takes a shine to, and Sayers (John Gregson) the dedicated cop trying to crack open organized crime and you've got yourself a pretty cool attempt at Brit Noir. Connery is terrific, Lom even better and I enjoyed seeing Kenneth Griffith and Yvonne Romain again after their supporting roles in the classic shocker 'Circus Of Horrors' starring Anton Diffring. 'The Frightened City' is worth a look.

The Frightened City is one of several films where Sean Connery is getting more and more noticed, leading to the stardom he would obtain the following year as James Bond. Though he's third billed in The Frightened City, it's his performance you'll remember.

Herbert Lom, a seemingly respectable businessman, is asked to launder some money by Alfred Marks one of London's top crime bosses. It occurs to Lom he's in unique position to make some really good money off all the crime bosses of London if they can be organized. Using Marks as a front, Lom does just that and the two of them hire Connery to be their chief enforcer in their protection racket.

It all works out really well when the hoods are muscling small businessmen for protection, but when they start going after bigger targets David Davies becomes squeamish and Lom and Marks decide he's to be eliminated. They use Connery to set him up and when Connery realizes he's unwittingly helped do in a friend he becomes a man with a mission. It's never good to have Sean Connery with a mission after you.

I think you can figure out the rest of the film. The Frightened City is a plot done many times over in American noir films which cycle had ended about five years earlier in America. This one gives you a nice glimpse of the seamier side of London. It was interesting by the way to hear the objections to going after big targets who might have influence with members of Parliament and the Home Office. Crooks are the same all over the world, pick on those you think can't fight back.

John Gregson is the Scotland Yard inspector who heads what we would call the organized crime unit there. He represents the good guys, but it's the bad ones that make The Frightened City an interesting film.

'The Frightened City' stars both Sean Connery and Herbert Lom just before their iconic appearances in the Bond & Pink Panther series respectively (although Lom already had a substantial film career before The Pink Panther series).

But it wasn't the first time they appeared together, having appeared in 1957's 'Hell Drivers'. And it's this comparison that weakens TFC as while both films are similarly hard-nosed, rough-edged action films, HD is superior more interesting characters, compelling drama and more vivid action scenes.

That isn't to say TFC is a bad film - it's solidly entertaining with a good atmosphere and Connery displaying the charisma that was about to make him a major star (plus a nicely underplayed turn from Lom as the villain). But it's too conventional in its plotting and lacking great action scenes to be up to HD's level.

Still, TFC is a decent film and worth a look

"The Frightened City" paints an interesting picture of the London underworld circa 1960. Sean Connery gives a great performance as Paddy Damian a heavy who does some of the dirty work for a couple of shady crime bosses played by Alfred Marks & Herbert Lom. Lom, in particular, gives a superb performance as Waldo Zhernikov a very intelligent, suave, hard-headed businessman. John Gregson plays Detective Inspector Sayers trying his best to curb their dodgy dealings. For us lads, it has the ravishing-looking Yvonne Romain playing a dancer & singer in a nightclub owned by our crime bosses. I have read that it was his performance in this movie that led directly to Sean Connery being offered the role of James Bond the following year in the first Bond movie Dr No. A very good watch!.

THE FRIGHTENED CITY is one of the films that Sean Connery made in the year before he found fame and success as James Bond in 1962's DR. NO. This one's a crime epic with a much more complex plot than is usual for the British B-picture genre: it involves rival gangsters setting up extensive criminal operations and subsequently falling out and gunning for each other over turf and business.

Connery is the young tough brought in to restore order and he brings plenty of warmth and charisma to what is otherwise a pretty tough role. The supporting cast is very good and well worth tuning in for. Herbert Lom isn't in it too much unfortunately but Alfred Marks, who I've only previously seen in comic fare like DESERT MICE, is fine as a really hateful character. John Gregson slips into the well-worn shoes of the detective with ease. Yvonne Romain (THE CURSE OF THE WEREWOLF) is an arresting femme fatale. Patrick Holt plays another cop and George Pastell a put-upon Italian who is the subject of one or two racist gags. Kenneth Griffith bags the most sympathetic part as the crippled friend. Marianne Stone, Bruce Seton, and even Stephen Lewis (Blakey from ON THE BUSES!) appear in bit parts. There isn't a wealth of action in THE FRIGHTENED CITY, but the plot feels fresh, involved, and fast-moving, and the ending is particularly strong.