The Small Voice (1952)

If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

Great Film overall

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Firstly how did three convicts getting out of Dartmoor get guns and false number plates.Secondly since Dartmoor is near Plymouth how did they manage to get as far as Wales in such a short time.Howard Keel was known in the UK but not in the US when he made this film.No wonder he wanted to be killed.Spending such a long time with the dreadfully dull with the dreadfully dull Donald and Hobson

I'm glad this film has been rescued from oblivion. It has many virtues. An excellent cast: Donald Murray, Valerie Hobson and Howard Keel are ideal in the three main roles, and they receive strong support from most of the minor characters. A strong, well-paced plot with frequent credible twists. Psychological depth and moral ambiguity. A satisfactory balance between thought and action. A certain oppressiveness in the interiors with some noir camera-work and sound track which add to the suspense. Idyllic landscapes. Plenty of period detail. It's a pity that the Welsh accents really don't come off, but one can't have everything, and this is one of the few films I've seen which I wished was much longer.

Taut little British suspense feature sees Howard Keel in his film debut (billed as Harold Keel). Boke (Keel) is having a bad day he's broken out of Dartmoor Prison, shot a cop, been in a car crash and now is in a hostage situation with unhappily married couple James Donald and Valerie Hobson. He has Donald who writes plays about crooks trying to get into his psyche, Hobson looking at him like he's trash, the kid upstairs screaming from meningitis and two useless fellow escapees plus its hot inside and we've got no electric fan (James Donald didn't think it worthwhile buying one). Howard Keel looks lean and imposing and every inch his over 6ft height. American born Keel was in England starring on stage in 'Oklahoma'. You can hear him singing 'the hangman song' on the record James Donald plays. His next film was the big budget MGM musical ANNIE GET YOUR GUN. Oddly enough Keel played another escaped prisoner in the British made FLOODS OF FEAR. Valerie Hobson was married to the film's producer Anthony Havelock-Allan and later married politician John Profumo but that's a whole other story !!!