The Break ** (1963, Tony Britton, William Lucas, Eddie Byrne, Robert Urquhart, Sonia Dresdel, Edwin Richfield, Gene Anderson, Christina Gregg) – Classic Movie Review 13,743

The 1963 British second feature crime thriller film The Break stars the stalwart cast of Tony Britton, William Lucas, Eddie Byrne and Robert Urquhart.

Director Lance Comfort’s 1963 British black and white second feature crime thriller film The Break stars the stalwart cast of Tony Britton, William Lucas, Eddie Byrne, Robert Urquhart, Sonia Dresdel, Edwin Richfield, Gene Anderson, and Christina Gregg.

An unlikely motley crew of suspicious types – a writer, a private detective, a criminal on the run, and his sister – gather together with its mutinous staff in a Devon smugglers’ farmhouse hotel to resolve a mysterious crime in this fairly entertaining B-movie suspenser.

William Lucas plays the dangerous criminal Jacko Thomas, who escapes from the train taking him to prison and hides in the secluded Dartmoor farmhouse hotel run by Judd Tredgar (Eddie Byrne), who arranged his escape and is about to send him on his way by ship to Argentina. The hotel also accommodates Jacko’s alluring sister Sue (Christina Gregg), who’s planning to accompany Jacko abroad, snooping private detective Pearson (Robert Urquhart), and troubled novelist Greg Parker (Tony Britton), whom Pearson is investigating in a divorce case. Naturally, Greg likes the look of Sue. Meanwhile, Tredgar’s wife Jean (Gene Anderson) fancies Jacko. Plus, Tredgar is also running a whisky smuggling racket.

The acceptable if not too thrilling plot is sparked up by the loyal acting, the inventive direction and camerawork, and the humble but effective enough production, virtually confined to the various sets of the single farmhouse, a godsend to low-budget Mancunian Film Corporation. Nevertheless there is a fair bit of outside filming too, so the film never feels set-bound. The initial break sequence is well done, starting the film off well, with a very jolly thriller tune over the following titles, though unfortunately this tune is repeated ad nauseam throughout the movie.

Fighting and action are always difficult to do and make convincing in old Brit movies, but they aren’t done too badly here. However, in between, there is a lot of talk, much of it irrelevant, like the hero’s long-winded musings on the pains of being a novelist, which seem to belong to another film entirely. English husband-and-wife team of TV writers Pip and Jane Baker were no doubt working through some personal frustrations. (They contributed to four Doctor Who serials in the 1980s.)

The acting finds William Lucas enjoying himself as the evil, murderous fugitive, Tony Britton doing his best as the hero (action is not his strong point), Robert Urquhart amusing enough as the chatty detective, Edwin Richfield chilly as the crazy, bible-bashing hotel servant Moses, and Sonia Dresdel notable as the grim mute cook Sarah, the sister of Moses. Admittedly, perhaps Lucas, Britton and Urquhart aren’t ideally cast. Lucas isn’t really evil and murderous enough as the villain, Britton isn’t young, dashing and athletic enough as the hero, and Urquhart can’t suggest that he was an ex-policeman. But, anyway, though the actors look like they’re acting, the acting is nevertheless loyal.

The Break lacks inspiration, but you could give yourself a break and try it.

Cast: Tony Britton as Greg Parker, William Lucas as Jacko Thomas, Eddie Byrne as Judd Tredgar, Robert Urquhart as Pearson, Sonia Dresdel as Sarah, Edwin Richfield as Moses, Gene Anderson as Jean Tredgar, Christina Gregg as Sue Thomas, Patrick Jordan as driver, John Junkin as Harry, and Marshall Jones as Jim.

The Break is directed by Lance Comfort, run 76 minutes, is made by Mancunian Film Corporation [Blakeley’s], is released by Planet (UK), is written by Pip Baker and Jane Baker, is shot in black and white by Basil Emmott, is produced by Tom Blakeley, and is scored by Brian Fahey.

© Derek Winnert 2025 – Classic Movie Review 13,743

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