Jackpot

A low budget British crime thriller from the early 1960s. The plot centres around a crook, Carl Stock (George Mikell). Having previously taken the rap for a robbery, he ended up doing time in prison and being deported from Britain, which not only cost him his share of the loot but also his marriage. Now he has finally managed to slip back into the country to reclaim what he considers to be his. However, his former colleague (Eddie Byrne) is now something of a big shot and is unwilling to entertain Stock's requests for financial recompense. Likewise Stock's wife, Kay (Betty McDowall) has moved on with her life and isn't altogether pleased when he turns up again out of the blue. And so the situation plays out, and it isn't long before the local police, headed by Superintendent Frawley (William Hartnell, just before he would land his defining role as television's original Doctor Who) are concerned with events.

Although the situation has plenty of potential, unfortunately the film plods along in a very pedestrian fashion and seems incapable of delivering a genuinely surprise twist, tension or intrigue. The majority of the characters are completely one-dimensional and the relationships between them, including crucially the one between Stock and his wife, lack any depth whatsoever. The film's saving grace for me was the character of Lenny Lane, former safe-cracker now gone straight, who is dragged back into the mire. The role is played by Michael Ripper, too often relegated to bit parts in films but here he gets something more substantial and shows how capable a performer he is. Lane and his young friend Sally (Sylvia Davies) are probably the only characters in the whole piece who are anything other than bland. Even settings in the London streets, a nightclub and (notably) Arsenal FC's football stadium fail to come alive under Montgomery Tully's limp direction.

Little-seen for many years, Jackpot recently underwent a restoration allowing it to be broadcast on television again. This restored print unfortunately still shows signs of damage and ends very abruptly before cutting into what are clearly recreated closing captions. I would hope the original release had a more satisfying closing scene but given the amount of dross that makes up the bulk of the picture, I wouldn't be at all surprised if it hadn't.

As a point of interest, this was the third project that Eddie Byrne and Betty McDowall had starred in together in little over a year, having previously collaborated on the film Jack The Ripper and the TV series Call Me Sam.

Saw this for the first time today (I'm 66+) and it was so refreshing to see some enjoyable TV! This film shows how crime films used to be made. Quality actors, professional directing, excellent storyline and not a swear word or single incident of sordid or depraved content so typical of Hollywooden 'moovees'. Unfortunately, the kind of story this tells is as common today as it was when the film was made, so this film has the added bonus of a timeless content. If you want an enjoyable film that will keep you glued to your sofa, give this a go. It's up there with 'Pool of London' and 'The Blue Lamp'.

Back in 1987 I used to occasionally pass Arsenal Station on my way to the Polytechnic of North London, and this film was over a quarter of a century old even then (yet with the office of a senior policeman already adorned with a portrait of the present Queen).

Despite the title this is not a comedy but a grim little caper film on which the Grand National logo from the 1930s is incongruously accompanied during the opening credits by the usual ubiquitous early sixties crime film jazz score from the days when people smoked constantly, they still hanged murderers and the ability to pay £6000 into your account attracted the interest of the authorities.

Although top-billed, William Hartnell appears only occasionally as the inspector investigating the case. Michael Ripper on the other hand has a much more substantial role than usual as a retired safecracker trying to go straight, but tempted back by the prospect of the then life-changing sum of a thousand pounds.

Poor old Lenny (Michael Ripper). All he craves is a quiet life, selling coffee, which nobody ever drinks and ham sandwiches, without the ham. His world is turned upside down when ex-con and deportee George Mikell, no, MIKELL returns illegally, aboard a merchant ship, upon which a lame brained effort to cover the vessel's original name has been made.

Lock expert Ripper is coerced into breaking into Mikell's wife's flat, followed by a safe cracking job, by way of retribution on corrupt club owner, Eddie Byrne, for non-payment of Mikell's cut from a previous job. The prolonged robbery scene, intended no doubt to be nail-bitingly suspenseful is just ponderous and tedious. Even the decent jazz score is ruined by Ripper's relentless drilling!

The police, led by William Hartnell with his crack team, conduct their investigations with Borisesque behind the curve efficiency.

The script is pretty much what you would expect from a twelve year old, invited to write a gangster story. Hamstrung by stilted, wooden performances and a lack of any real substance or subplot.

Focusing on the positives: The delightful, underrated Betty McDowall salvages some artistic integrity as Mikell's mistreated wife, who has found a new love. In addition, as the action moves to the Arsenal stadium on match day, there is fleeting library footage of a game. The solitary goal, however, when it arrives, a scrappy over-the-line affair, draws merely shoulder shrugging indifference from the crowd. Oh, come ON! At least entertain us with a 30 yard netbusting screamer, accompanied by an erupting, uproarious ecstatic stadium. The prospect of Mikell attempting his getaway whilst being unceremoniously jostled amongst 20,000 surging, delirious, rattle wielding home fans would have made essential viewing. What a missed opportunity! Maybe the Gunners were always resigned to playing at the Highbury Library.

Billed by the T.V. channel as a 'lost' film, one is compelled to ask: Was it really lost, or did somebody discreetly put it out with the rubbish? One of relatively few films made by Grand National Pictures, it's hard to imagine many punters racing to back this nag. However, at 71 minutes, this passingly noirish potboiler is fairly brisk in making its point. In the event of the patience shredding mechanism kicking in, then simply fast forward to enjoy the absurdly abrupt ending.

Jackpot is a British low budget B movie thriller.

Carl Stock is a foreigner and an crook who was deported after being released from prison. Carl has illegally returned to Britain and wants his share of the loot and get back together with his wife.

Only to discover that his wife has move on with her life and the gangster Same Hare who was minding his share of the loot does not want to give it back.

Same runs The Jackpot Club and Carl plans to rob the safe as revenge. With the help of former safe cracker Lenny Lane who now runs a coffee shop, they steal £6000.

Unfortunately while making their getaway a policeman is shot dead. Now they are pursued by the police and the club owner.

A cheap routine thriller with a climax taking place in a football ground between Carl and Sam with the police being in little rush. Even with a short running time, there are long scenes of a drill being used on a safe.

Worth watching to see William Hartnell playing the detective on the hunt for the robbers and having little time for Sam Hare.