Yield to the Night
| Yield to the Night | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical poster to the US release of Yield to the Night (1956) | |
| Directed by | J. Lee Thompson |
| Produced by | Kenneth Harper |
| Written by |
John Cresswell Joan Henry |
| Starring | Diana Dors |
| Music by | Ray Martin |
| Cinematography | Gilbert Taylor |
| Edited by | Richard Best |
| Distributed by | Associated British-Pathé |
Release dates |
14 June 1956 (World Premiere, London) 18 November 1956 (US) |
Running time | 99 mins. |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Box office | £174,911[1] |
Yield to the Night (also titled Blonde Sinner) is a 1956 British crime drama film starring Diana Dors as a murderess sentenced to hang and spending her last days in the condemned cell in a British women's prison.[2] It was directed by J. Lee Thompson. The film received much positive critical attention, particularly for the unexpectedly skilled acting of Dors, who had previously been cast solely as a British version of the typical "blonde bombshell".[3] The movie was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 1956 Cannes Film Festival.[4]
Plot
The storyline in Yield to the Night bears a superficial resemblance to the Ruth Ellis case, which had occurred the previous year. However, the film is based on the novel of the same title published in 1954 by Joan Henry.[5] Coincidentally, Ruth Ellis appeared as an uncredited beauty queen in the 1951 film Lady Godiva Rides Again, also starring Diana Dors.
Cast
- Diana Dors - Mary Price Hilton
- Yvonne Mitchell - Matron Hilda MacFarlane
- Michael Craig - Jim Lancaster
- Marie Ney - Prison Governess
- Geoffrey Keen - Prison Chaplain
- Liam Redmond - Prison Doctor
- Olga Lindo - Senior Matron Hill
- Joan Miller - Matron Barker
- Marjorie Rhodes - Matron Brandon
- Molly Urquhart - Matron Mason
- Mary Mackenzie - Matron
- Harry Locke - Fred Hilton
- Michael Ripper - Roy, bar good-timer
- Joyce Blair - Doris, storeclerk-friend
- Athene Seyler - Miss Bligh
- Mona Washbourne - Mrs. Thomas, landlady
- Alec Finter - Mr. Thomas, landlord (as Alex Finter)
- Marianne Stone - New Matron Richardson
- Charles Lloyd-Pack - Mary's Lawyer
- Dandy Nichols - Mrs. Price
- John Charlesworth - Alan Price
References
- ↑ Vincent Porter, 'The Robert Clark Account', Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, Vol 20 No 4, 2000 p510
- ↑ "Yield to the Night (1956)". BFI.
- ↑ "BFI Screenonline: Yield to the Night (1956)".
- ↑ "Festival de Cannes: Yield to the Night". festival-cannes.com. Retrieved 2009-02-07.
- ↑ Williams, Melanie (30 June 2006). "Diana Dors: An angry young woman". The Independent. Retrieved 1 November 2010.