The Quiet Woman *** (1951, Derek Bond, Jane Hylton, Dora Bryan, Michael Balfour) – Classic Movie Review 13,147

The 1951 British crime drama B film The Quiet Woman is a tale of liquor smuggling and an escaped convict, set on the edge of bleak Romney Marsh, and stars Derek Bond, Jane Hylton and Dora Bryan.

Director John Gilling’s 1951 British crime drama B film The Quiet Woman is set in the bleak, sparsely populated Romney Marsh wetland area of Kent in south-east England, and is based on a story by Ruth Adam. It stars Derek Bond, Jane Hylton, Dora Bryan, Michael Balfour, and John Horsley.

Derek Bond stars as a handsome smuggler, gentleman artist and former UK Royal Navy officer called Duncan McLeod, who has a lucrative sideline smuggling contraband liquor between France and Britain across the English Channel, assisted by his loyal crewman Lefty Brown (Michael Balfour).

They store the liquor in an outhouse at The Quiet Woman pub in a coastal small town on the edge of Romney Marsh in Kent. But, unknown to them, the pub has just been taken over by Jane Foster (Jane Hylton) and her friend and helper Elsie Tripp (Dora Bryan).

Jane demands that the smugglers remove their contraband liquor elsewhere immediately, but Duncan and Lefty stay around to court Jane and Elsie. Duncan immediately likes the look of Jane, but she despises his criminal activities, and is instantly suspicious of him. Rightly so, but there is a back story.

Duncan doesn’t know that Jane is married to criminal Jim Cranshaw (Harry Towb), who is serving jail time. Soon it emerges that Cranshaw has escaped from jail, and he arrives at the pub and demands that Jane hide him in the attic and get Duncan to transport him to safety in France.

Jane Hylton, Derek Bond, Dora Bryan and Michael Balfour are ideally cast and give strong performances, giving a super lift to this somewhat routine, but quite well-made B-movie production with a rather limp screenplay by director Gilling, slightly struggling to carve out something memorable from the story by Ruth Adam. Jane Hylton is especially good, really quite impressive, using her fascinating face to great effect, and Dora Bryan gives an essential expert support turn, gently semi-comedic, but only semi, and cannily delivered. Michael Balfour’s performance is nearly as good, in a very similar vein.

Also very effective is John Horsley as Bromley, a former Navy colleague of Duncan, who turns up to take a room at the pub, supposedly on holiday, but actually a customs inspector investigating Duncan. Dianne Foster is fun as Helen, a model and former girlfriend of Duncan who surprises him by arriving to pose for his latest painting and is wildly jealous of his interest in Jane. He paints her portrait from life with Jane’s head on her body from memory!

Even if the dialogue lacks polish and finesse, some of it is witty and entertaining, and the plot is good, interesting, involving and rock solid. But it is the acting that gives the film true distinction and makes it actually memorable.

And, plus, the film is helped greatly by its surprisingly extensive East Sussex location shooting, with decent studio work at Alliance Studios, Twickenham, Middlesex, England.

The Star Inn, Norman’s Bay, East Sussex, stands in for The Quiet Woman pub, while Hog Hill Mill, Icklesham, East Sussex, stands in for Duncan’s house and art studio.

Other locations are Rye Harbour, Harbour Road, East Sussex; Winchelsea station, Winchelsea, East Sussex; Lower Square, Old Isleworth, Middlesex (the Customs House),

Dora Bryan replaced Diana Dors after a dispute with the director.

Romney Marsh covers about 100 square miles and has been used for centuries, especially by smugglers between the 17th and 19th centuries because of its location, geography and isolation.

The Quiet Woman is directed by John Gilling, runs 71 minutes, is made by Tempean Films, is released by Eros Films, is written by John Gilling, is shot in black and white by Monty Berman and E Besche (camera operator), is produced by Robert S Baker and Monty Berman, is scored by John Lanchbery, and is designed by Don Russell.

The cast are Derek Bond as Duncan McLeod, Jane Hylton as Jane Foster, Dora Bryan as Elsie Tripp, Michael Balfour as Lefty Brown, Dianne Foster as Helen, Harry Towb as Jim Cranshaw, John Horsley as Bromley, Peter Madren as Willis, Michael Logan as Police Sergeant, Victor Hagan as Station Porter, Pat Ryan as Customs Official Perkins, and Campbell Singer.

Feature film debuts of Dianne Foster and Harry Towb. Both enjoyed long and successful careers, particularly Towb, with 196 film and TV credits right up to his death in 2009. Their inexperience slightly shows here, but they are fine none the less.

© Derek Winnert 2024 – Classic Movie Review 13,147

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com