Man on the Run

"Man on the Run" is interesting for several reasons.

One is the postwar atmosphere in England and the problem they had with deserters, many of whom were on the run and resorting to crime. Here in the U. S., 21,000 people were charged and sentenced for desertion during World War II - 49 were sentenced to death, but only one sentence was carried out.

Although over 21,000 American soldiers were given varying sentences for desertion during World War II, including 49 death sentences, Slovik's death sentence was the only one that was carried out.

The main character in this is Peter Burden (Derek Farrar). After four years in the service, he needed extra time on his leave because his sister was dying. He was refused and stayed with her anyway.

Peter is in hiding when approached by someone who knew him, a Corp. Newman (Kenneth More, in a small part). Newman wants blackmail money; instead, Peter takes off.

When Peter tries to pawn his gun, the pawnshop is robbed at the same time by two men. The police think it's three. He is being chased through the streets when he runs into an apartment building. There he meets a widow, Jean Adams (Joan Hopkins) who agrees to help him. She hides him and lets him stay at her place.

Peter knows certain distinguishing features of one of the men and feels if he could just find him, the police would learn of his innocence. By a series of circumstances, the police zero in on Jean, so she and Peter take off to a friend's place out of London.

The chase continues, and it's Jean who actually sees someone in a cafe that she thinks is one of the robbers.

Too many coincidences in the story, but the actors are likeable, and you do pull for both of them.

Not only did More appear, but all during the film, I kept thinking one of the police detectives looked like Laurence Harvey. That's probably because it was Laurence Harvey.

Although I saw this on a very poor DVD transfer it held my attention from beginning to end. Yes, as other reviewers have pointed out, there's nothing new here, but it's expertly done, and it's interesting to know that there were apparently 20,000 deserters on the run in the UK in 1949, and one imagines that many of them were as hard-done-by as our hero, but I won't spoil anything by revealing why he deserted. The film is certainly sympathetic to those 20,000 men who get the blame, by several representative members of the cast, for everything that's wrong with post-war Britain. Derek Farr is excellent in the main role as the deserter who has to raise some money when Kenneth More, who had served in the same outfit, happens into the pub where he's working under an alias and decides to blackmail him. While he's trying to pawn a gun the pawnshop is robbed and a policeman killed making him one of the suspects. Joan Hopkins is the sympathetic woman who helps him. Edward Chapman is the inspector investigating the case with ever-increasing impatience. Laurence Harvey, although billed fourth, has little to do as a sergeant with a soft spot for Hopkins. Plenty of noir atmosphere. Recommended.

The great shame of unused female actors in British cinema is far too long; Joan Greenwood was an example, and rarely given roles that were truly worthy of her. Joan Hopkins is another and even less well known than Greenwood or many others. A pity because she had a statuesque beauty, and a quiet charm and in some shots her beauty almost rivals Greta Garbo. Opposite Derek Farr there is good chemistry, and for once she is pivotal to the film and not only decoration. Farr is a deserter from WW2 and on the run not only for that, but for a murder he is suspected of committing. Hopkins takes him into her flat and the two fall in love. I liked too the atmosphere of the UK after the war, with its turmoil at getting back to a previous life that will never come again. A fluctuating chaos that lasted through the late 1940's and the mid to late 1950's. The film is rich on detail, and there is Kenneth More as a war veteran in a small but significant role. Well directed,, and in the main well acted, it is worthy of hunting down for all those interested in this period of history, and the run down houses peeling with damp and cold bear no resemblance to the wealth there today. These films are essential to UK history and the passing of times, and the poverty and wealth that goes with it. And Joan Hopkins is quite simply excellent.

An astringent little drama painting a vivid picture as shot by Wilkie Cooper of a seething postwar London rife with deserters, blackmailers and other lowlifes.

Top-billed Joan Hopkins is rather stiff as the heroine, but this actually renders her more more rather than less appealing - not being conventional leading lady material - and as usual the supporting case is full of entertaining surprises, including early appearances by Kenneth More and a moustached Laurence Harvey in only his second film role as a detective.

Derek Farr deserted from the British Army after four years of service and went underground. Now he is at the end of his rope, so he takes his service revolver to a pawn shop.... to pawn it. While he's standing there, two other men enter, knock out the owner and flee, killing a bobby as they go. Now Farr is really being pursued and he randomly stops Joan Hopkins... who agrees to help him.

There are definite noir elements in this movie, with discussion the estimated 20,000 deserters and some grimy cinematography by DP Wilkie Cooper, but that's about the limits of it. Otherwise, writer-director Lawrence Huntington has turned out a reasonably taut man-accused movie. Despite a decent story, the movie itself is curiously inert, with a lot of talk and not much movement.

Farr is clearly not wearing his hairpiece for this movie, an odd choice for a romantic lead type, but that, I suppose, it part of the noir aspect of it. Watch out for Laurence Harvey in his second screen appearance, playing a detective. He's only mildly creepy in this one.