The Price of Silence

Gordon Jackson comes out of prison with the intention of living an honest life, but for an ex-con, there aren't many opportunities. After being fired from several jobs, he changes his name by deed poll and starts over again at a real estate agency run by Llewellyn Rees. He's doing well, with a budding romantic relationship with June Thornburn, and increased responsibilities in the office, but there are flaws. Rees' wife, Maya Koumani, is bored, and keeps trying to get Jackson interested, despite his lack of interest, and a fellow ex-con, Sam Kydd, starts to blackmail him.

It's a good story, but there's something off and occasionally abrupt in the way editor Douglas Myers puts things together.; certainly there's a bit of idiot plotting in it; Jackson could simply come clean with Rees at any point, but his reluctance to do so is understandable. Still, the sloppiness of the story and the way it's all resolved seems o be pulled out nowhere for the convenience of ending it.

I don't often write negative reviews but I have just watched this film and was surprised at its high rating.

On the positive side, Gordon Jackson pulled out a convincing portrayal of an erstwhile ex-con who had been in prison because of one foolish decision. A couple of other actors gave solid performances, some just read their lines and picked up the pay packet.

In the film, Sam Kydd plays a blackmailer and former inmate of Jackson, quite a hefty part for him, sadly here we get a clue as to why he rarely got a major role. He makes a good effort at the character but cannot decide on what personality he has veering between just some bloke needing the cash to occasionally something darker. At no point does he give one a sense of threat.

The film seems heavily edited (yet still drags) with characters appearing in places rather than entering them. One character (a friend of GJ) appears as a witness at the police station sitting confidently astride a chair "a la Christine Keeler" (thankfully clothed) assertively telling detective what he knows.

I found the denouement unbelievable with nothing backing it up, an ending that felt tagged on, a script that meandered and somehow reached its mooring, the port of call unsurprising for a film of this period.

Various plot elements - an ex-con hero, a femme fatale, a blackmailer ("Where in God's name would I get £600?") - quickly emerge, but where they're all leading keeps you guessing in this taut little crime drama based on a novel by Laurence Meynell, historically notable as the final film of perennial eccentric Mary Clare.

Gordon Jackson is released from prison after a one year's sentence for embezzlement by mistake and tries to start a new life, but no one wants to employ a former jailbird, so he changes his name, and is lucky enough to actually get a good job, doing well and earning the confidence of his employer, an aged man past his prime with a young slender wife who actually tries to seduce Jackson out of sheer boredom in her sexless marriage. Jackson is thoroughly straightforward and resists her a number of times - this is a modern case of the wife of Potiphar. When he gets into trouble because of a blackmailer, gradually involving even murder, that wife betrays him lying to the police, and so the jam gets thicker. It's a fine little thriller with excellent cast, and I have never seen Gordon Jackson better. All the three women, all opposites to each other, gives the drama balance, and the male characters, also quite opposite types, makes the film more than worth while.

The film opens with Richard Fuller (Gordon Jackson) being released from prison after doing time for embezzlement. Being an 'old lag', he has difficulty finding employment until he decides to change his name to Roger Fenton and keep quiet about his past. He soon gets a job in an estate office and the first job his elderly employer Mr Shipley gives him is to report on a country house just on the market. The property is occupied by a young, attractive artist Audrey Truscott (June Thorburn) who lives alone (later in the film they form romantic relationship). Roger does well in his job and eventually is offered a partnership in the business. However two problems arise to threaten his success. Mr Shipley inadvertently brings together Roger and Mrs Shipley, a younger, attractive lady who is bored and looking for love. She relentlessly pursues Roger almost to the point of stalking him but he consistently rejects her advances for fear of losing his job as well as jeopardising his relationship with Audrey. A more serious situation arises for him when by chance he crosses paths with a fellow prison inmate (affectionately nicknamed 'the slug' played by the ubiquitous Sam Kydd). By eavesdropping and snooping, the slug learns of Roger's change of name, employment success and girlfriend and in time honoured fashion, starts to blackmail him. Initially Roger pays the 'slug' every week at his tobacconists shop until 'sluggy' makes the fatal error of getting greedy. I will say no more how things develop as it will spoil the film for new viewers. I would class this film as a second feature but it is none the worse for that and I will not fall into the trap of assessing this 1959 film using twenty-first century criteria as some other reviewers seem unable to resist. One has to remember the function of 'B' pictures in the 1950s, the restricted budgets of film makers and the target audience. Gordon Jackson never made a bad film in my opinion and this one is well acted by all concerned. I can never watch a June Thorburn film without thinking of the real life tragedy that befell her. She was a great loss though not required to stretch herself here. Sam Kydd's part is somewhat longer than he would have been used to but he plays it well and is suitably 'low life'. The action moves along nicely and there are a couple of twists that resolve tricky situations and are quite satisfying. The film could easily be classed as 'routine' in some ways for the genre but for me, being a diehard fan of 1950s vintage 'B' films, it passed an hour or so quite pleasantly. Accordingly I think it is worth a 7 out of 10.