Port of Escape (1956) User Reviews

Hostage suspense drama that never really grips

[Leofwine_draca · 5/10 · 5 September 2016]

PORT OF ESCAPE is a hostage drama that never really feels very suspenseful despite best efforts; it's far too sedate and genteel for that. It's a pity that the film isn't more gripping because the trappings of the genre are present and correct, it's just the execution which is a bit, well average. The storyline is about a couple of sailors on shore leave who get into a fight which leaves a man dead. Instead of giving themselves up they decide to hide out on a moored boat which just so happens to be occupied by three women, one of whom witnessed the crime. The rest of the film sees them trying to avoid the police investigations, headed over by genre regular Alexander Gauge.

The film has a mixed cast although most of the characters are underwritten so few have a chance to shine. John McCallum, an Australian star who later went on to produce the famous SKIPPY TV series, is the best of the bunch as the warm and conflicted killer, while Bill Keer is underutilised but quite effective as the psychotic one of the pair. Googie Withers is saddled with an annoying character who I never warmed to, although it's fun to see Joan Hickson in a much larger role than usual. My favourite character was Skinner, played by the delightful Hugh Pryse as a man who uses opportunity to make cash from the situation. If only the film was as fun as his character.

doesn't get out of port

[malcolmgsw · 5/10 · 3 August 2015]

This is a starring vehicle for the husband and wife team of Google Withers and John Maccallum.It has a substantial part for Bill Kerr who was finding fame on Hancocks Half hour. Much of the action takes place on a barge on the Thames.It all becomes very claustrophobic,particularly since they are hiding from the police when they come on board Poor Bill isn't quite with it and all the turmoil at the end sends him off on a destructive course. There are a number of familiar faces lower down the cast not least of which is Alexander Gauge who was finding brief fame on television as Friar Tuck in Robin Hood.

A run of the mill British crime movie

[mark-erswell · 4/10 · 4 October 2015]

A typical British B movie from the 1950's. Has two Australian actors playing Americans. Now that is really scraping the bottom of the barrel to try and earn a few extra dollars on the US circuit. I wonder if it worked? Actually this film has a very strong cast with some fine actors. It is just very claustrophobic with it's settings. It plods along but does not really grip you. Worth watching though for those who like to play spot the actor. Some interesting shots of how The Port of London once looked when the Thames was a working river and before the modern developers completely changed the landscape of the area. Lots of trilby hats and long raincoats on show in typical 1950's British black and white movie fashion.

Decent But Unremarkable

[boblipton · 5/10 · 22 December 2019]

John McCallum and Bill Kerr are a couple of sailors on shore leave in London. The night gets rowdy and Kerr -- who's suffering from amnesia; all he can remember is that he's from Missouri -- shoots and kills a man. They flee onto the houseboat of society columnist Googie Withers, her sister Wendy Danielli, and maid Joan Hickson. McCallum and Kerr threaten the women, holding them captive as the police search for them.

It's good cast and decent story, but confined as it largely is to a couple of sets, lacks much of interest as a movie. There's some good character work between Withers and McCallum, who were husband and life in real life. However, the plot proceeds in a mechanical fashion, and beside the leading couple, there isn't much of interest for the other players to do.

Dark UK thriller

[gordonl56 · 7/10 · 1 September 2006]

Port of Escape - 1956 UK The first time I saw this film (2006) it was a rather poor print on an old VHS tape. I have since replaced it with a much better DVD copy. I decided a second look was needed just to see if i had missed something the first time.

John McCallum and Bill Kerr are a pair of American sailors just fired off a freighter. They hit the waterfront dives in search of booze and dames. Kerr, the not so bright one of the pair gets in a scrap with a local hard case. A knife is produced and used which leaves the local dead. McCallum and Kerr hit the pavement in a hurry looking for a place to go to ground. With John Law on their heels the pair jump on a dockside houseboat to hide. On board are three woman whom the pair take as hostages. A gun persuades the trio, Joan Hickson, Googie Withers and Wendy Danielli to play along when the Police come for a look. The Police move on and McCallum and Kerr decide to lay low for a few days till the heat is off. After that they will steal a small boat and head down river where they hope to sign on an outbound ship. If they can get back to the States they figure they can just disappear. They make their break but needless to say their luck does not hold. The chase is back on. The gun is used, Kerr is killed trying to escape over a warehouse roof and McCallum is captured. A well done little film with some excellent camera work of the London docks and town.

The director was the rather unknown Anthony Young. The d of p was Phil Grindrod who shot HOUSE OF BLACKMAIL, THE DEADLIEST SIN, DIAL 999, STREET OF SHADOWS, THE CROOKED SKY, VIOLENT STRANGER, THE HYPNOSIST and THE DIPLOMATIC CORPSE.

John McCallum who just passed two weeks ago, was in ROOT OF EVIL, THE CALENDER, THE WOMAN IN QUESTION, THE LONG MEMORY, IT ALWAYS RAINS ON SUNDAYS and TRENT'S LAST CASE. His wife, Googie Withers, was in DEAD OF NIGHT, IT ALWAYS RAINS ON SUNDAYS, PINK STRING AND SEALING WAX and NIGHT AND THE CITY. Joan Hickson, the BBC's Miss Marple to many of us, was in ROUGH SHOOT, DEADLY NIGHTSHADE and HEAT WAVE.

All in all I found it to be a decent middle of the road British thriller.

"Don't go. It's a trap. I'm sure of it"

[hwg1957-102-265704 · 5/10 · 1 February 2019]

After an accidental but fatal stabbing two sailors take refuge in a boat on the River Thames after following a woman there who had witnessed the incident. Three women live on the boat and they are held hostage until the two men, Mitch Gillis and Dinty Missouri can get a boat to return to the United States. Meanwhile the police are searching for them. Despite good acting this is not gripping or suspenseful.

The cast do their best but they don't have much to work with. Still it is always good to see fine character actors the like of Joan Hickson, Hugh Pryse and Alexander Gauge in a film. There is also some atmospheric photography of London's docklands. area.

Desperate Hours

[richardchatten · 6/10 · 10 May 2020]

The cast acts well in this bleak home invasion drama (vividly photographed as usual by Phil Grindrod) set in a houseboat on the Thames that captures the quiet desperation of life at the bottom of the heap during the fifties; with war veterans John McCallum and Bill Kerr rather resembling such mis-matched male couples as George & Lennie from 'Of Mice and Men' or Alan Ladd and William Bendix in 'The Blue Dahlia'.

Both later returned back down under (McCallum taking leading lady Google Withers with him), while further down the cast list Joan Hickson and Hugh Pryse (who died before the film was released) make notable impressions in the little screen time allotted them.

Some People Don't Watch Carefully

[saracen238 · 4/10 · 24 April 2023]

I haven't actually written a review on here for ages, and I'm not that fussed about writing one for this movie, it was passable and enjoyable enough.

What I REALLY want to do is say that, whoever wrote the heading review, and the featured review, clearly DIDN'T watch the movie properly. McCallum's and Kerr's characters are NOT "...two sailors out....in search of a good time...", nor are they BOTH supposed to be American. It's stated quite clearly; almost from the opening scenes; that they're trying to find a ship to get Kerr's character back to the U. S. And McCallum quite clearly says; as does Kerr's character; that he is Australian. Lazy, lazy "reviewing" gets up my nose!