Mervyn Speight has escaped from prison, where he has been for the murder of a young woman two years earlier. He insists that he is an innocent man who was framed and lawyer Hugo Bishop, believing him, sets out to prove his story…
Production Details
A Hammer production released by Exclusive Films (UK) and United Artists (USA)
From the Original Story “Queen in Danger” by Elleston Trevor
Copyright 1952 by Exclusive Films Ltd.
All characters in this photoplay are fictitious and bear no resemblance to any real person, living or dead
RCA Sound System
Philharmonia Orchestra
Produced at Exclusive Studios, Bray
Black & White 79 minutes
Filming Began: 1st February 1952
UK Release: 10th March 1953
Studio:
Bray Studios, Down Place, Oakley Green, Berkshire
Stills from film
Click an image for enlarged slideshow
Cast & Crew
Red = Uncredited
Crew | Name | Age at Release | Birth | Death | Age | Hammer Credits | Uncredited | Total Hammer |
Adapted by | Paul Tabori | 44 | 8 May 1908 | 9 Nov 1974 | 66 | 7 | 1 | 8 |
Additional Music | Eric Rogers | 31 | 25 Sep 1921 | 8 Apr 1981 | 59 | 2 | 2 | |
Art Director | J. Elder Wills | 52 | 26 Apr 1900 | 1970 | 69 | 22 | 22 | |
Assistant Director | Bill Shore | 5 | 2 | 7 | ||||
Assistant Sound Editor | James Groom | 28 | 1925 | 17 May 2016 | 91 | 13 | 2 | 15 |
Boom Operator | Percy Britten | 33 | 1 Oct 1919 | 1996 | 76 | 23 | 23 | |
Camera Operator | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/len-harris/# | 36 | 19 May 1916 | 21 Feb 1995 | 78 | 63 | 2 | 65 |
Clapper Loader | Tom Friswell | 23 | 1930 | 2002 | 72 | 18 | 18 | |
Conductor | Marcus Dods | 34 | 19 Apr 1918 | 30 Apr 1984 | 66 | 4 | 4 | |
Continuity | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/renee-glynne/# | 26 | 3 Aug 1926 | 6 Apr 2022 | 95 | 41 | 3 | 44 |
Dialogue Director | Nora Roberts | 1 Mar 1968 | 5 | 5 | ||||
Director | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/terence-fisher/# | 49 | 23 Feb 1904 | 18 Jun 1980 | 76 | 31 | 31 | |
Director of Photography | Reginald Wyer BSc | 51 | 30 Oct 1901 | 1970 | 68 | 5 | 5 | |
Editor | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/james-needs/# | 33 | 17 Oct 1919 | 4 Feb 2003 | 83 | 113 | 1 | 114 |
First Assistant Editor | James Groom | 28 | 1925 | 17 May 2016 | 91 | 14 | 2 | 16 |
Focus puller | Manny Yospa | 35 | 20 Jan 1918 | 21 Apr 2002 | 84 | 4 | 4 | |
Lois Maxwells Wardrobe | Jane Ironside | 2 | 2 | |||||
Make-up | Dick Bonner-Morris | 42 | 1911 | 20 Sep 1964 | 53 | 4 | 4 | |
Music Composer | Doreen Carwithen | 30 | 15 Nov 1922 | 5 Jan 2003 | 80 | 3 | 3 | |
Producer | Alexander Paal | 42 | 18 May 1910 | 8 Nov 1972 | 62 | 4 | 1 | 5 |
Producer | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/michael-carreras/# | 25 | 21 Dec 1927 | 19 Apr 1994 | 66 | 98 | 9 | 107 |
Production Manager | Victor Wark | 39 | 1 Apr 1913 | 4 Jan 1993 | 79 | 3 | 3 | |
Recordist | Jack Miller | 2 | 2 | |||||
Screenplay | Paul Tabori | 44 | 8 May 1908 | 9 Nov 1974 | 66 | 7 | 1 | 8 |
Screenplay | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/terence-fisher/# | 49 | 23 Feb 1904 | 18 Jun 1980 | 76 | 31 | 31 | |
Second Assistant Director | Aida Young | 32 | 11 Aug 1920 | 12 Aug 2007 | 87 | 8 | 6 | 14 |
Sound Assistant | Ray Hole | 2 | 2 | |||||
Sound Camera Operator | Peter Matthews | 3 | 3 | |||||
Still Photographer | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/john-jay/# | 32 | 14 Nov 1920 | 29 Apr 2005 | 84 | 13 | 22 | 35 |
Third Assistant Director | Vernon Nolf | 32 | 12 Sep 1920 | 30 Apr 2009 | 88 | 3 | 3 | |
Cast | Name | Age at Release | Birth | Death | Age | Hammer Credits | Uncredited | Total Hammer |
Alphonse | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/arnold-diamond/# | 37 | 18 Apr 1915 | 18 Mar 1992 | 76 | 5 | 2 | 7 |
Barker | Conrad Phillips | 27 | 13 Apr 1925 | 13 Jan 2016 | 90 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
Barman | Paul Phillips | 42 | 1 Feb 1911 | 29 Oct 1976 | 65 | 2 | 2 | |
Derval | Liam Gaffney | 41 | 22 Jun 1911 | Jul 1985 | 83 | 1 | 1 | |
Detective | Terry Carney | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||
Doctor | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/john-stuart/# | 54 | 18 Jul 1898 | 17 Oct 1979 | 81 | 8 | 1 | 9 |
Du Vancet | John Penrose | 38 | 5 May 1914 | 22 May 1983 | 69 | 2 | 2 | |
Fashion Compere | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/barbara-shelley/# | 21 | 13 Feb 1932 | 3 Jan 2021 | 88 | 8 | 8 | |
Frisnay | Lloyd Lamble | 39 | 8 Feb 1914 | 17 Mar 2008 | 94 | 3 | 3 | |
Hugo Bishop | Paul Henreid | 45 | 10 Jan 1908 | 29 Mar 1992 | 84 | 2 | 2 | |
Jerrard | Hugh Sinclair | 49 | 19 May 1903 | 29 Dec 1962 | 59 | 2 | 2 | |
Joanna | Christina Forrest | 23 | 5 Feb 1930 | 1 Oct 1990 | 60 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Laura | Jane Welsh | 48 | 14 Jan 1905 | 27 Nov 2001 | 96 | 1 | 1 | |
Marjorie | Anna Turner | 34 | 6 May 1918 | 29 Mar 2014 | 95 | 2 | 2 | |
Party Guest | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/victor-harrington/# | 43 | 27 Aug 1909 | 23 Jul 1980 | 70 | 7 | 7 | |
Plain Clothes Man | Geoffrey Murphy | 32 | 2 Jan 1921 | 15 Jun 1989 | 68 | 1 | 1 | |
Receptionist | Sally Newland | 1 | 1 | |||||
Rex | Anthony Forwood | 37 | 3 Oct 1915 | 18 May 1988 | 72 | 6 | 6 | |
Speight | Kieron Moore | 28 | 5 Oct 1924 | 15 Jul 2007 | 82 | 2 | 2 | |
Susie | Mary Laura Wood | 29 | 8 Mar 1924 | 30 Mar 1990 | 66 | 1 | 1 | |
Thelma | Lois Maxwell | 26 | 14 Feb 1927 | 29 Sep 2007 | 80 | 2 | 2 | |
Vera | Kay Kendall | 26 | 21 May 1926 | 6 Sep 1959 | 33 | 2 | 2 | |
Victor | Bill Travers | 31 | 3 Jan 1922 | 29 Mar 1994 | 72 | 1 | 1 |
Original Poster
Click to enlarge
Footnotes
Like Hammer, actor Kieron Moore later tried his hand at horror, starring in Doctor Blood’s Coffin (1960) and The Day of the Triffids (1962).
Kay Kendall, who is also in Hammer’s Wings of Danger (1952), became a popular film actress until her premature death in 1959, at the age of just 33.
Len Harris, mentioned here for the first time, became Hammer’s regular Camera Operator for the next ten years.
Conrad Phillips, who plays Barker in this film, became William Tell in the ITC TV series of the early 1960s. He also appears in the horror film Circus of Horrors (1960).
This was Barbara Shelly’s first film for Hammer.