Odd Man Out

Date: 1947
Director: Carol Reed
Production Company: Two Cities Films

Stars: James Mason, Robert Newton, Cyril Cusack, Kathleen Ryan, F. J. McCormick
Location(s): Belfast, London

Region(s): ,

Storyline:

A wounded Irish nationalist leader attempts to evade police following a failed robbery.

Additional Information:

Screen captures uploaded by Phil Wilkinson from source material provided by John Tunstill.

Throughout the film, studio sets are interspersed with shots of Belfast and East London.

Jimmy Snow, special effects technician, for whom we have a fulsome summary of his career written by his granddaughter Brigitte, together with her memories of him, worked on this film. All that she has shared with us can be read here.

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If you have any information regarding this production, the locations or, even better, some comparison shots please contact us. Images submitted must be in Landscape orientation, as would be seen on the cinema screen, not Portrait.

We are aware that there are films on the site that were added when the criteria for the inclusion of locations was very different from today and, as a result, there may be scenes missing from some productions. Please do not forward additional screen captures to us but bring the detail to our attention, for we do, and are, 're-addressing' these older entries as time allows.

An aerial view of the anonymous city where the story is set. Belfast, Northern Ireland with the Albert Memorial Clock in Queen's Square to the left of centre.

The best shot possible from ground level that includes the two main elements. (PW)

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A street market takes place in the square at the foot of the Albert Memorial Clock Tower. Studio set included for sake of completeness.

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Panning from the previous screen shot to the docks entrance where gang member Dennis browses at a market stall. Studio set included for sake of completeness.

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Car driver Pat heads to pick up other gang members. An unknown location with a Belfast trolleybus to the right.

Nolan (Dan O'Herlihy) waits to be picked up. Queens Bridge over the River Lagan in Belfast which also features in 'Jacqueline'.

The same bridge. (PW)

Pat drives the car through the city streets. Shaftesbury Square from Donegall Road looking towards Donegall Pass and its junction with Botanic Avenue identified by Chris Lloyd.

Still a complicated junction. (PW)

Murphy (Roy Irving) gets into the car. Donegall Square East, Belfast with the Robinson & Cleaver department store in the left background. The square is also featured in 'Jacqueline'.

The former department store is hiding behind the trees. (PW)

The gang sets off to rob a mill to obtain money for their organisation. Looking north along Victoria Street, Belfast with the corner of Ann Street just left of centre and the Albert Memorial Clock in the left distance.

Much altered but the clock still stands. (PW)

The gang pass the Royal Mail public house on Upper Street at the junction with Waterloo Terrace, Islington, London, N1 identified by members of the Britmovie Forum. Tris updates us that the pub at number 153, having gone through a number of name changes over the years, survives as a bar and is currently, as of September 2020, known as Hoxley & Porter.

The members are absolutely right. SJ

About to pass is a London Transport trolleybus on route 683 running between Stamford Hill and Moorgate and this is Ball's Pond Road at the corner of Kingsbury Road in Hackney, London N1 which is identified by members of the Britmovie Forum. Tris points out that the building to the left is the Greyhound public house, which closed in the 1980s.

The right hand building is no longer standing in this confirmation shot from Peter.

A closer view of the trolley wires. Gary Farrer identifies this as 'Nags Head Corner' at the junction of Holloway Road, Parkhurst Road and Seven Sisters Road in Holloway N7. As a child Gary lived not far away and, whilst not remembering the trolleybuses, can vaguely recollect a friend of his grandmother once referring to it as 'Cobweb Corner' due the profusion of overhead wires.

Gary provides this capture as proof of the previously unidentified location. Image copyright Google.

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Belfast buses are passed along the journey.

The mill comes into view. The Greeves Mill at the corner of Conway Street and Falls Road in Belfast seen from the long gone Balaclava Street. (PW)

Taken from the shade of trees on the Falls Road. (PW)

Outside the main entrance to the mill offices. This is Whiston Road, Hackney in East London says Bill Horncastle.

Dave W found that Linslade House in Whiston Road now occupies the location given for the mill offices which were a prop frontage. (RL)

Pat (Cyril Cusack), Johnny McQueen (James Mason), Nolan and Murphy arrive outside the mill offices. Bill Horncastle identifies this as Whiston Road in Hackney E2.

Traffic was light so Dave correctly took this shot of Linslade House from the road. (RL)

Johnny looks up at the mill's chimney. Greeves Mill on Conway Street was destroyed by arson in August 1969. (PW)

The base of the chimney would have been around here. (PW)

Johnny walks towards the entrance of the offices. Bill Horncastle locates this as Whiston Road.

Dave found that getaway cars would not be welcome to stop in Whiston Road now. (RL)

As the gang make their getaway, Johnny is shot and wounded. Whiston Road E2 again advises Bill Horncastle. Interpreting Bill's comment reported at Capture 19 that the robbery scenes were studio based, coupled with map and other evidence researched by Dave W, this could well be a set built on a bomb site. (RL)

As a result of his visit Dave advises that "The Crown pub (closed, but see capture 19 and its "now") is the only marker still present to tell us how far along Whiston Road we should be for the mill office. This looks about right, give or take a banknote or two. The pub building is visible in the distance." (RL)

The car speeds away. Bill Horncastle suggests Whiston Road which is near to Broadway Market in E8 and tells us that the bank robbery scenes were all studio based.

Christopher Matheson provides the support to Bill's suggestion of Whiston Road, in fact, the corner with Nicholl Street and what was the former "Crown" pub and now with additional brickwork.

The other gang members hold onto Johnny as he tries to get into the car. Dave W has tracked the scene down to Lansdowne Drive, London E8 and what was the junction with Blanchard Road. With redevelopment it is now the entrance to Aldington Court but the post box remains and the street name style is preserved in the current sign for Lavender Grove almost opposite. (RL)

Having established the location Dave took a visit to find that the pillar box is a "GR" in plain lettering, thus 1936 or earlier so very likely to be the same one. Even more likely with the base of the Post Office pointer still in place on top. Everything else hasving changed. (RL)

The injured Johnny falls from the car. Malcolm Cotton recognises this as Blanchard Road, Hackney looking from London Fields towards Lansdowne Drive. The gap on the left being Blanchard Place. All re-developed in the 1970s. (RL)

The central access way of Aldington Court follows the route of former Blanchard Road. We still see Lansdowne Drive in the distance in this shot from Dave. (RL)

The car stops and reverses to pick up Johnny. Blanchard Road, London E8 looking east towards the junction with Blanchard Place. (RL)

Dave W captures the successors to Blanchard Road / Place / Street all are still dead ends so there's no point rushing about hither and thither in a getaway car. (RL)

Johnny picks himself up and makes a run for it. Blanchard Road in E8 says Malcolm Cotton. Blanchard Place off to the left, all now redeveloped. (RL)

Dave found that there is no direct equivalent to Blanchard Drive now but the paved courtyard gives us a suggestion of where it was. (RL)

The car speeds after Johnny. Blanchard Road, London E8 looking towards Lansdowne Drive and as Dave W points out the tree behind No 100 is now in leaf compared to Capture 23. The car here is turning into Blanchard Street. (RL)

To match the capture's view this far back we must stand behind the grill of the central access way, looking towards Lansdowne Drive. London Fields is immediately behind Dave here. (RL)

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Johnny passes air raid shelters in the street. A currently unidentified location.

An additional screen capture from Dave W, showing the back of the houses 30 to 18 in Maidstone Street and the school like building, background right, is indeed a school, in fact Sebright Primary School on Audrey Street, London E2. (RL)

Dermot O'Brien has waited a few years to take this shot of Sebright Primary School seen from Haggerston Park as the view of the school from the south has been obscured by temporary prefab classrooms which had been used to house the Shoreditch City of London Academy whilst a permanent school was being built in Shoreditch Park, another of the locations used in 'Odd Man Out'.

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Johnny climbs over waste ground that was once gardens. William Palin researched this location after receiving an enquiry about the church visible in the top centre distance and identifies the scene as looking east along the back of a bombed out terrace of houses on Dorchester Street in Hoxton, London N1 towards Bridport Place with St. Saviour's Church beyond, an area south of the Regent's Canal and a stone's throw from Gainsborough Studios. The church was demolished in the 1950s, however, a fragment of Bridport Place survives.

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Johnny heads for safety in an air raid shelter. The white "H" on the wall is an indication for the fire brigade that there is a water hydrant connection within 3 feet. Dave W's dogged determination has established the location as 1 - 21 Moye Street in E2 behind the dominating street shelter which must have plunged the ground floor rooms into several years of darkness. The capture also shows the heavily fortified back wall of the Goldsmith's Arms. All gone and unrecognisable now but the location also appears in 'Now Barabbas' filmed two years later. (RL)

The police begin to stop people in their search for the robbers. Dave W provides the location as well as the "now", Lansdowne Drive at the junction with Wilman Grove. (RL)

Looking north along Lansdowne Drive at the junction with Wilman Grove. One of the few scenes where buildings seen in the film are still in place. (RL)

Dave W provides this additional screen capture showing s police radio car pulling away to join the search. Naturally, he provides the location. East Smithfield E1 at its junction with Mansell Street. The building ahead is 44-45 Tower Hill. (RL)

Dave couldn't resist taking a "now" shot of a very much changed junction. However, "modern tech is a fab thing it allows him to pinpoint where the police car was sitting in 1947: on that box junction boundary where East Smithfield becomes Tower Hill. (RL)

A further capture from Dave, here, Royal Mint Street heading west, approaching Sparrow Corner and Minories. The building on the left with a municipal air is the Institute of Marine Engineers that appears with a different perspective in "On The Fiddle" Capture 1. (RL)

Dave asks that "a certain amount of trust is required here. The Institute of Marine Engineers was once on the left, the Crown & Shears pub was in the middle and the goods depot of the London & North Eastern Railway was on the right. Not a trace of them remaining from this vantage point in Shorter Street E1." I think that we can trust you Dave, it looks spot on to me. (RL)

Broadway Market in Hackney, London E8 Circa 1947

The police ask for information. Broadway Market in Hackney, London E8 located by members of the Britmovie Forum.

Broadway Market in Hackney, London E8

Christopher Matheson provides an up to date shot of the location from the same spot. (RL)

The police continue their search in the city which, according to a map seen in the next scene, is situated to the south of the fictional Fermagh Lough. Identified by our contributor friend Christopher Matheson in 2014 for another website, https://petegrafton.com/2013/09/19/london-town-54/ and stumbled across by Dave W; St. Katharine's Way, St Katharine Dock, London E1. (RL)

Wasting no time Dave provides us with the view as it is now. (RL)

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A group of youngsters taunt the police. Unidentified location.

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Children play in the bomb damaged streets. The accents maybe Belfast but Dave W tells us that the football game is taking place on a London E2 bombsite bounded by Whiston Road (seen here), Moye Street, Dove Row and Jacobin Street. (RL)

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A man kicks the children's football. Dave W says: "Might this be the Dove Row Mission & Ragged School building? Evidence is less than perfect but the location matches the football game." Does anyone have their own, or know of, a photo of Dove Row with this building in it?

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The football lands on the roof of the air raid shelter where Johnny is hiding. Following on from C27 Dave says that this is 18 - 26 Moye Street and the back yard of a shop on Goldsmith's Row. This is the other side of the street shown in C27. Now completely redeveloped as Morrell Court and Moye Close. (RL)

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Nolan, Pat and Murphy come across police who are checking identity cards.

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Nolan, Pat and Murphy stop and try a different route.

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The gang members find more police.

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Nolan, Pat and Murphy are spotted by the police and make a run for it. They have just run onto Boundary Street as seen from Boomer Street, Belfast as identified by members of belfastforum.co.uk.

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Pat slips over as they run towards Theresa O'Brien's house.

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The gang members arrive at the house of Theresa, a sympathiser of the organisation. Unidentified location.

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Johnny looks out of the shelter. An unknown location, having the appearance of a set, that Steve Randall points out also features in 'Now Barabbas'.

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Dennis (Robert Beatty) sets out to look for Johnny. Boundary Street, Belfast once again. The area has been completely redeveloped.

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After finding Johnny, Dennis creates a diversion so that he can escape from the air raid shelter. Running towards the steps leading to Tates Avenue Bridge, Belfast.

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Dennis reaches the top of the stairs.

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Dennis climbs scaffolding whilst running from the police. An unidentified location that may be a set judging by the curve of the tram lines.

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Dennis runs along an unidentified street as a Belfast tram passes. Trevor Scott discovered a Belfast Telegraph article which mentioned that this is Legmore Street, looking towards Ligoniel Road in Belfast.

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Dennis boards the tram destined for Falls Road. Maureen Ritchie identifies this as the lower part of Ligoniel Road looking towards Crumlin Road in Belfast BT14, near her Grandfather's house, and that he used to talk about watching filming take place. The building to the right of centre still stands.

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Dennis throws himself through the tram's window to escape after a fight breaks out on board. This has the appearance of a set.

After Johnny leaves the air raid shelter, two women run to look after him when he almost passes out after being hit by a truck. Christy Lawrance advises that this is Canonbury Grove in N1.

Canonbury Grove, London N1.

Christy, who edits a local history magazine, was sent an article by a man who remembers filming taking place in 1946, when he was 13 years old. Dave W provides the shot to replace the Google Earth View. (RL)

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A group of soldiers pass Johnny as he gets into an unattended hansom cab. Unidentified location.

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One of the soldiers helps Johnny into the cab. Unknown location.

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Police stop vehicles in the street as they look for Johnny. Unknown location.

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The cab is let through the police line as the driver thinks it is empty. Unidentified location.

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The police arrive at Kathleen's house. Likely to be a studio set as it looks like a screen appears to be hiding lighting in the top left hand corner.

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The cab with Johnny on board passes along the main street. Possibly a set but still an unidentified location.

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A man hails the cab and Johnny is discovered. Unknown location, maybe a set.

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After the cab driver leaves Johnny in a masons yard, Kathleen Sullivan (Kathleen Ryan) goes out to look for him. And following on from Capture 34, here, according to Dave is the reverse direction of that capture, taken from the corner of Moye Street and Dove Row E2. As usual Carol Reed was up to his tricks in these scenes. There appears to be a sheet hanging across the line of houses. And a railing finial has been placed to suggest continuity between Belfast scenes. (RL)

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Kathleen heads for the main street. Unidentified location.

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A plain clothes police officer follows Kathleen. Unknown location.

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The police officer sees Kathleen enter the Arcadia Dance Hall. Unknown location.

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The officer catches up with Kathleen as she walks to see Father Tom. Unidentified location.

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Johnny walks towards a telephone box. Unidentified location likely to be a studio set.

When he sees policemen approaching, Johnny enters The Four Winds public house. The pub was based on The Crown Bar on Great Victoria Street in Belfast.

The real frontage . . . . how long does it take to study a menu? I waited five minutes before taking this shot! (PW)

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Police stand on the street along from The Four Winds. Unidentified location and again, likely to be a studio set.

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The street outside The Four Winds seen extreme left. Studio set included for sake of completeness as the real Crown Bar in Belfast stands on a corner.

Shell (F. J. McCormick), who saw the cab driver leave Johnny in the yard earlier, approaches The Four Winds. A studio set included for the sake of completeness.

More of the real Crown Bar on Great Victoria Street. (PW)

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Fencie (William Hartnell), the proprietor of The Four Winds, puts Johnny in a cab with Lukey, a friend of Shell. Unidentified location.

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A police inspector (Denis O'Dea) arrives at the home of Father Tom. Unknown location.

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The police continue their search for Johnny. Unidentified location.

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Kathleen stands outside Father Tom's house in the snow. Unknown location.

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Shell escorts Johnny towards the square. Unidentified location.

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The police nearly spot Shell and Johnny. Unknown location that may be a studio set.

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Johnny hides as the police pass. Unknown location.

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Kathleen heads towards the square after Shell tells her that he has found Johnny. Part of the studio set or an unidentified location.

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Kathleen eventually finds Johnny in a studio set alleyway with a replica of the Albert Memorial Clock in the background. Included for sake of completeness.