Escape by Night

The scene is set by an aerial view of the Central Criminal Court as a racketeering gang are found guilty and Gino Rossi (Sidney James) is the next gang leader set to be arrested.

The journalist Tom Buchan (Bonar Colleano) tips off Gino about the potential arrest and then tries to meet him via a singer Rosetta Mantania (Simone Silva ) in a club. He goes to her apartment to wait for her arrival home and finds Gino there already. Phillimore Gardens, London W8 also seen in 'The Gilded Cage' and 'Three Steps to The Gallows'.

The canopy has long gone but still there is parking.

Gino agrees to tell Tom about his life and takes him at gun point to “some quiet place to talk”, The Grand Theatre, Putney Bridge Approach and Fulham High Street, Fulham. It closed down in 1950 and was demolished in 1958. Identification from Britmovie.

At least the railing remain.

Gino tries the door of the closed Theatre while Tom watches on. Looking down Fulham High Street with Gonville Street, SW6 just in view.

Rather lost something.

Joey Weston (Andrew Ray), a naïve youngster, finds them in the theatre, joins them as a fellow “agent” and runs off home. 133/135 Harrow Road, its fate corrected by Rod Grealish, it was in fact the casualty of re-development.

On Joey’s return he agrees to take a note to Rosetta and returns to his home to have his tea and “go out early”.

The Square, Peabody, Fulham Palace Road, London W6. At long last the scaffolding has gone to reveal an almost identical scene. To replace my shot from April. (RL)

A part of Tom’s proposed story annoys Gino and he threatens him with the gun. This has all the marks of being filmed on location inside the then closed and now demolished Theatre.

Joey lines up for school attendance but has to “bunk off” in order to take the first installment of Tom’s report to his newspaper editor. Antony Blair remarks that the cast and crew didn’t have to go far for this scene, it’s Featherstone School on Dudley Road in Southall which also features in 'Miss Robin Hood'.

And this is Antony's wider view of the same, very changed location.

After a £500 reward is offered for information as to the whereabouts of Gino, Joey tells his father (Ted Ray) where Tom and Gino are and he promptly runs to the telephone box outside the flats. Antony advises that this is looking across the road from the studios on Gladstone Road in Southall. The road is also seen in 'The Gay Dog', 'One Jump Ahead', 'Miss Robin Hood' and 'Date with Disaster' while the studio frontage appears in 'Stormy Crossing'.

Antony Blair provides the modern comparison.

Joey uses his bike to warn Tom and Gino what has happened. Fulham High Street, looking towards what is now The Temperance, Public House.

Having waited for a car transporter, a car and other delivery vans to vacate I could wait no longer.

Reverse point of view as the Police arrive.

And the Eight Bells pub is till there, open for business.

Joey gets to Tom and Gino just in time to warn them and show them an escape route over the roof. All Saints Church, Fulham in the background.

A further Police car arrives on the scene that certainly shows the front of the Grand Theatre as well as All Saints Church.

A little greener now.

Joey falls during the escape but Tom and Gino try to blend with the crowds in The Broadway, Southall. Who would have thought of going there from Fulham/Putney?

Culturally different anyway.

After a lengthy “escape” through dark roads, alleyways and railway property Gino returns to the Club where Rosetta sings with a view to killing her as his informer, but Tom stops him and Gino gets shot in the ensuing struggle. Although filmed by Southall Studios the film ends with Tom being told by the Inspector in charge (Patrick Barr), that there is “much to talk about” opposite “L Carter & Sons” on Crisp Road, Hammersmith W6 which is also seen in numerous other productions including 'Wheel of Fate', 'The Small Voice', 'Recoil', 'Love in Pawn' and 'Breakaway'.

Nothing to draw crowds today.