Rent The Frightened City (1961)

Gangbusters UK. - The Frightened City review by Steve

This gangster film takes a while to gather momentum, but still has a few points of interest and is a cut above the bulk of British B noirs of the early sixties. The screen now feels dominated by Sean Connery, a year ahead of Dr. No. He's still a developing actor, but much better than in his fifties appearances, and he has some unmissable natural charisma.  

There is a soundtrack by the Shadows, and the title music reached number three in the UK charts. Norrie Paramor also contributes a few pre-Beatles pop songs sung by cast members, which haven't lasted very well. London born Yvonne Romain performs one of these and contributes plenty of ersatz continental glamour as a Russian nightclub vocalist...

The gangland narrative would have made an impact in the era of the Krays. Herbert Lom plays the Mr. Big, trying to organise the criminal underworld. This is all lifted from the Hollywood syndicate noirs of the 1950s. The mobsters mostly operate in the protection racket, but their strong arm methods are less brutal than reality.

There is a message! The police- led by John Gregson as the determined but burdened detective- is fighting crime with its hands tied. Law is for the benefit of the mob. This Daily Express style editorialising was still being recited in cop dramas a decade later in Dirty Harry. There are a few better low budget UK crime films in the early '60s, but this is coherent and has little style.