Dial 999 [The Way Out] *** (1955, Gene Nelson, Mona Freeman, Michael Goodliffe, John Bentley, Michael Golden) – Classic Movie Review 12,753

The 1955 British crime drama film Dial 999 [The Way Out] is a neat, twisty little thriller, based on the novel by Bruce Graeme. It stars Gene Nelson, Mona Freeman and John Bentley.

Writer-director Montgomery Tully’s 1955 British crime drama film Dial 999 [The Way Out] is a neat, twisty little thriller, based on the novel by Bruce Graeme. It stars Gene Nelson as Greg Carradine, Mona Freeman as Terry Moffat Carradine, and John Bentley as Detective Sergeant Seagrave.

It is made by British company Todon Productions at Merton Park Studios, Twickenham, in London.

RKO Radio Pictures bought the US rights to distribute it in the US and released it cut by 11 minutes as The Way Out on 11 April 1956.

Mona Freeman stars as Terry Moffat Carradine, who gets her brother John Moffat (Michael Goodliffe) to help try to smuggle her husband Greg Carradine (Gene Nelson) out of the UK after he confesses to a manslaughter during a punch-up. But Detective Sergeant Seagrave (John Bentley) and Chief Inspector Keyes (Michael Golden) are hot on the trail.

It is all quite tense, compelling and surprisingly well done.

Dial 999 [The Way Out] is directed by Montgomery Tully, is made by Todon Productions, is distributed by Anglo-Amalgamated (UK) and RKO Radio Pictures (US), is written by Montgomery Tully, is shot in black and white by Phil Grindrod, is produced by Alec C Snowden, is scored by Richard Taylor, and is designed by C Wilfred Arnold.

Release dates: December 1955 (UK) and 11 April 1956 (US).

Running times: 89 minutes (Dial 999) and 78 minutes (The Way Out).

The cast are Gene Nelson as Greg Carradine, Mona Freeman as Terry Carradine, John Bentley as Detective Sergeant Seagrave, Michael Goodliffe as John Moffat, Sydney Tafler as Cressett, Charles Victor as Tom Smithers, Paula Byrne as Vera Bellamy, Michael Golden as Chief Inspector Keyes, Arthur Lovegrove as George, Charles Mortimer as Harding, Cyril Chamberlain as Anderson, Tony Sympson as Harry Briggs, Jack McNaughton as Plainclothes Officer, Michael Duffield as Fingerprint Man, Patrick Newell as 1st Brewers Man, Kay Callard as Blonde, Peter Welch as Plainclothes Officer, Margaret Harrison as Policewoman Larkins, Kenneth Midwood as Radio Operator, Clifford Buckton as Alf, Frank Forsythe as 1st Police Constable, Frank Hawkins as 2nd Police Constable, Walter Gotell as Policeman, Harry Lane as Bob, and Barbara Roscoe as Model.

© Derek Winnert 2023 – Classic Movie Review 12,753

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