The Secret Place (film)
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associate
Anthony Perry
Ronald Lewis
Michael Brooke
| The Secret Place | |
|---|---|
![](#/media/File:"The_Secret_Place"_(1957).jpg) | |
| Directed by | Clive Donner |
| Written by | Linette Perry |
| Produced by | John Bryan associate Anthony Perry |
| Starring | Belinda Lee Ronald Lewis Michael Brooke |
| Cinematography | Ernest Steward |
| Edited by | Peter Bezencenet |
| Music by | Clifton Parker |
Production company | John Bryan Productions |
| Distributed by | Rank |
Release date |
|
Running time | 98 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
The Secret Place is a 1957 British crime film directed by Clive Donner[1][2] and starring Belinda Lee and Ronald Lewis.[3] It was written by Linette Perry.
In a badly bombed district in the East End of London after the second world war, a gang carries out a diamond robbery.
An adolescent boy, Freddie Haywood,[3][4] has a crush on a kiosk attendant, Molly Wilson, who is engaged to Gerry Carter, a member of the gang. After the robbery, from a jeweller's in Hatton Garden, Gerry hides the diamonds inside Molly's record player. Freddie discovers the diamonds and the gang go after him.[5]
Cast
- Belinda Lee as Molly Wilson
- Ronald Lewis as Gerry Carter
- Michael Brooke as Freddie Haywood
- Michael Gwynn as Steve Warring
- Geoffrey Keen as Mr Haywood
- David McCallum as Mike Wilson
- Maureen Pryor as Mrs Haywood
- George Selway as Paddy
- George A. Cooper as Harry
Production
Clive Donner had been an editor on Genevieve (1953), I am a Camera (1955) and other films. This was his first film as director.[6] It was one of several thrillers made by the Rank Organisation around this time.[7]
Filming took place at Pinewood Studios, starting in June 1956 and on location at Bethnal Green.[8][9]
Anthony Steel was meant to play the male lead but he broke his contract with Rank and was replaced by Ronald Lewis, who had just signed a contract with the studio.[10][11][12] The film also gave David McCallum his breakthrough role.[13]
Clive Donner said it was "quite clear" the Rank Organisation wanted him to cast Belinda Lee. He went to see her play Rosalind in As You Like It on stage but felt she was not "convincingly working class" which the role required. He wanted to cast Barbara Archer and screen tested her, but John Davis did not want to cast her as "he was determined to have Belinda". So Donner cast Lee and said she worked very hard. Donner says Davis also disliked the locations feeling they were too ugly; however the director was supported by Rank executive James Archibald. Donner tried to cast lesser known faces and got many from theatre workshops. "They were absolutely right, absolutely natural," he said.[14]