The Traitor (also known as The Accused) is a 1957 British drama film directed by Michael McCarthy and starring Donald Wolfit, Robert Bray, Jane Griffiths and Anton Diffring.[1][2]
| The Traitor | |
|---|---|
.jpg) British theatrical poster | |
| Directed by | Michael McCarthy |
| Written by | Michael McCarthy |
| Produced by | Edwin J. Fancey |
| Starring | Donald Wolfit Robert Bray Jane Griffiths Anton Diffring |
| Cinematography | Bert Mason |
| Edited by | Monica Kimick |
| Music by | Jackie Brown |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | New Realm Entertainment |
Release date |
|
Running time | 88 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Premise
editA former resistance fighter tries to discover the traitor who has betrayed his colleagues in the German resistance during the Second World War.
Cast
edit- Donald Wolfit as Colonel Charles Price
- Robert Bray as Major Shane
- Jane Griffiths as Vicki Toller
- Carl Jaffe as Professor Stefan Toller
- Anton Diffring as Joseph Brezina
- Christopher Lee as Doctor Neumann
- Oscar Quitak as Thomas Rilke
- Karel Štěpánek as Mayor Friederich Suderman
- Frederick Schiller as Alfred Baum
- Rupert Davies as Clinton, the butler
- John Van Eyssen as Lieutenant Bobby Grant
- Colin Croft as Theodore Dehmel
Theme music
editThe film's title music, "Prelude Without A Name", and incidental music were written and conducted by Jackie Brown. The solo pianist was Dennis Wilson.
Critical reception
editThe Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "Although there are some good ideas in the plot, the script of this film seems more suited to radio than to cinema, since it consists for the most part of a series of conversational set pieces. The director has made praiseworthy efforts to overcome this defect; but has not quite succeeded. Robert Bray's truculent American major is quite unconvincing; for the rest the cast is uninspired but adequate."[3]
Kine Weekly wrote: "The director handles the plot intelligently and convincing atmosphere is created. Resourceful camerawork and an original musical score, strengthened by a new concerto, heighten dramatic impact."[4]
Sky Movies wrote, "The specially written musical piece, Prelude, which has a vital part to play in the plot's unfolding, is hauntingly appealing. But too much talk tends to spoil the script's surprises."[5]
The Radio Times noted, "Nuance was not Donald Wolfit's strong suit, but he had presence and power in spades. He totally dominates this story with a bluster and conviction that keeps an uninspiring tale of the hunt for a Second World War traitor from falling flat on its face."[6]
In British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959 David Quinlan rated the film as "mediocre", writing: "Talky enough for a radio script, this drama drags on sceen."[7]
TV Guide concluded, "This is an offbeat espionage whodunit with some nervy moments."[8]
Around the film
edit- On a very similar plot line, the French filmmaker Julien Duvivier directed in 1959 Marie-Octobre, also known as Secret Meeting, starring Danielle Darrieux and based on a novel by Jacques Robert published in 1948.
References
edit- ^ "The Traitor". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
- ^ "The Traitor". British Film Institute.
- ^ "The Traitor". The Monthly Film Bulletin. 24 (276): 62. 1 January 1957 – via ProQuest.
- ^ "The Traitor". Kine Weekly. 479 (2587): 16. 14 March 1957 – via ProQuest.
- ^ "The Traitor". Archived from the original on 18 October 2014. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
- ^ David Parkinson. "The Traitor". RadioTimes.
- ^ Quinlan, David (1984). British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959. London: B.T. Batsford Ltd. p. 392. ISBN 0-7134-1874-5.
- ^ "The Accursed". TV Guide. Archived from the original on 17 October 2014. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
Bibliography
edit- Chibnall, Steve & McFarlane, Brian. The British 'B' Film. Palgrave MacMillan, 2009.
External links
edit- The Traitor at IMDb
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