Considering how well it depicts post-war England, and also how well it makes use of Trevor Howard in the main role, you may be surprised to find out that They Made Me A Fugitive was directed by a Brazilian, Alberto Cavalcanti. Fans of classic British film may be less surprised though, considering the fact that Cavalcanti also helmed a number of films for the mighty Ealing Studios at this time.
Howard plays Clem, a thieving criminal who has a major pang of conscience when the ruthless Narcy (Griffith Jones) starts dealing in the drug trade. Clem doesn't want any part of the drug business, and plans to quit after one last job. That last job doesn't go to plan, which leads to Clem being framed for the murder of a policeman. He ends up sentenced to fifteen years in prison. An escape is inevitable, considering the title of the movie, and Clem is soon seeking revenge against those who framed him for a murder he didn't commit.
Based on the novel "A Convict Has Escaped" by Jackson Budd, They Made Me A Fugitive was turned into a screenplay by Noel Langley, who does a great job of mixing together a large cast of characters into a frothing pot of dark soup that is destined to be spilled all over by the time the finale comes around. While everything is tame compared to more modern content, there are moments of nastiness and grit that keep you feeling as if nothing is guaranteed. Main characters may or may not survive to the end credits, pain will be the main currency for everyone involved (be it physical or emotional), and as for a happy ending . . . this is a noir, after all, so even that isn't a given.
Howard may not seem like the best fit for the lead role, but he grows into his performance with each minute of screentime, and has that essential spark of charm that keeps viewers onside. Jones is deliciously dastardly and irredeemable as Narcy (short for Narcissus, which basically tells you all you need to know about him). Jack McNaughton does well as another crook, Soapy, and Ballard Berkeley is entertaining as Rockliffe, an officer heading up the manhunt for Clem. It's not all about the men though, and Sally Gray, Rene Ray, Mary Merrall, and Vida Hope all get time to shine as they play their part in the unfolding drama, with Gray cutting a particularly sad and vulnerable figure as things turn even darker in the third act.
It may lack some of the style and edge of similar films being made in the USA at this time, but that is what helps to make They Made Me A Fugitive so memorable. It's very British, but the Britishness is placed around some serious unpleasantness and violence that wasn't usually part of the fabric of UK cinema at this time. It was there, and you can certainly find some other classics from this time that make good use of it, but it was very rare.
8/10
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