The Small Voice
The Small Voice (released in the United States as The Hideout) is a 1948 British thriller film directed by Fergus McDonell and starring Valerie Hobson, James Donald and Howard Keel (who was credited as Harold Keel). It is about an escaped convict who takes a married couple hostage.[2] The film is part of a group of British film noir produced around this time.[3]
| The Small Voice | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Fergus McDonell |
| Produced by | Anthony Havelock-Allan |
| Written by | George Barraud Derek Neame Julian Orde |
| Starring | Valerie Hobson James Donald Howard Keel (as Harold Keel) |
| Music by | Stanley Black |
| Cinematography | Stanley Pavey |
| Edited by | Manuel del Campo |
Production company | Constellation Films |
| Distributed by | British Lion Films |
Release date | 30 November 1948 |
Running time | 85 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Box office | £105,199 (UK)[1] |
The film's sets were designed by the art director Andrew Mazzei. It was the film debut of Howard Keel who made it while appearing in the original London production of Oklahoma![4]
The film received a BAFTA nomination for Best British Film in 1949.[5]
Cast
- Valerie Hobson as Eleanor Byrne
- James Donald as Murray Byrne
- Howard Keel (credited as Harold Keel) as Boke
- David Greene as Jim
- Michael Balfour as Frankie
- Joan Young as Potter, the housekeeper
- Angela Fouldes as Jenny Moss
- Glyn Dearman as Ken Moss
- Norman Claridge as Superintendent
- Edward Evans as Police Inspector
- Bill Shine as Maitland
- Michael Hordern as Dr. Mennell
- Edward Palmer as Joe Wallis
- Lyn Evans as Conductor
Critical reception
Virginia Graham wrote in The Spectator in 1948, "all this is admirably done, and eventually provides melodrama of an order as English and as excellent as muffins";[6] while TV Guide concluded that "the tension is sustained throughout, with some interesting plot twists along the way."[7]
References
- Vincent Porter, 'The Robert Clark Account', Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, Vol 20 No 4, 2000 p486
- The Small Voice at TCMDB
- Mayer p.97
- "Annie's Handsome Man". The Sunday Herald. Sydney. 18 June 1950. p. 4 Supplement: Features. Retrieved 17 July 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
- http://awards.bafta.org/award/1949/film. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
- "The Hideout (The Small Voice) (1948)" – via www.rottentomatoes.com.
- "Hideout | TV Guide". TVGuide.com.
Bibliography
- Mayer, Geoff. Roy Ward Baker. Manchester University Press, 2004.
External links
- The Small Voice on IMDb
- Review of film at Variety