The Large Rope

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 .

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.

This film is one of my favourite low budget British mysteries from the 1950's. Houston stars as a man framed for a crime. He serves his time in prison and upon release goes back to the small rural town he grew up in. There, he is considered a crook and treated like an outcast. When a murder occurs in the town, everyone is quick to point their finger at him. Even the police believe he is guilty and a man hunt is initiated.

A small bit of fortune goes his way and he finds evidence that incriminates the real killer. Now it's a race against time as he tries to confront the real killer before he is captured by the police. This is a minor, low budget British mystery. But the performances are well above par, especially Mr. Houston, and I found this an enjoyable 70 minutes. STARS Donald Houston, Susan Shaw, Robert Brown, Peter Byrne, Richard Warner, Vanda Godsell.

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.

Tom Penney (Donald Houston) is returning to his small English village after spending three years in prison. However, he apparently did not actually commit any crime though the town is about as unfriendly as it can be. They all assume he's guilty and treat him like dirt. Only a couple people in town know the truth but they won't speak up about it.

In the midst of all this antipathy, a dead woman is discovered. Immediately the town assumed Tom killed her and a lynch mob mentality erupts. As for Tom, he's scared out of his wits and runs. Can the truth be revealed? I must first point out that my wife wasn't as thrilled with this film as I was. When it was over, she complained that although the film was good, they really didn't explain what happened to send Tom to prison three years earlier. While it's true that this is vague, I liked the way the picture portrayed human nature at its worst. An interesting story.