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said he was handed a ready-made script. "It was a concoction of all the prison films
Hollywood ever made", he said. "Both Stanley Baker and I refused to work until they let us write our own script. Which is what we did." He says the producers wanted a sequence where the criminals rob a race track but
357:
where the criminals he robbed are waiting, also with his lover
Suzanne as security. They flee, but Bannion is hit by a bullet as they escape. They reach a snowy field where Johnny shoots one of his three pursuers before being shot himself. He dies before being able to say where the money is.
349:. The other prison boss, the Irish O'Hara, is less sympathetic to Bannion. During the riot, Bannion opens the door to let the guards back in and wins favour of the prison governor. He is transferred to a low security prison for his assistance but is booed by fellow inmates as he leaves.
352:
During the transfer, it is revealed that
Bannion paid £40,000 for the riot and a "fast car". The car appears and drives the prison van off the road, rescuing Bannion. However, he has been double crossed. He is taken to a
331:). Unbeknownst to him, the racetrack is owned by another gangster. Word is spread of his responsibility, he's double-crossed by his associates, and he is sent back to prison, where he is a well known figure.
342:. He tells him the outside world wants their £40,000 back, but is prepared to give favours if he gets a cut. They make their plans whispering to each other during Sunday mass.
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According to Losey the film was a commercial success. He said the film was banned in
Ireland because so many of the prisoners were Irish Catholics.
311:
The film is noted for its harsh and violent portrayal of prison life which led it to be banned in several countries, including
Finland and Ireland.
327:
heist for £40,000. He successfully plans and executes the robbery with the help of his partner, a well-connected
American named Mike Carter (
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270:) who is sent back to prison after robbing a racetrack, with both the authorities and the criminal underworld looking for the money.
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EUGENE ARCHER (15 March 1964). "EXPATRIATE RETRACES HIS STEPS: Joseph Losey
Changes Direction With His British 'Servant'".
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574:(1956), so he filmed it taking place off screen. According to Losey, Johnny Bannion was modelled on real-life
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boss Frank
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from a three-year stint in prison, he begins planning his "comeback" - a
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The film was the debut for several of its actors, including
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composed the musical score, with a title song sung by
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wrote the screenplay, from a story by an uncredited
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671:"FILM CRAFT: Joseph Losey talks to Peter Lennon".
616:The film was reportedly very successful in Paris.
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1481:Films with screenplays by Jimmy Sangster
687:"BFI Screenonline: Criminal, The (1960)"
288:. The ensemble supporting cast features
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639:. Oxford University Press. p. 139.
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1501:English-language crime drama films
345:The death of an inmate triggers a
229:(released in the United States as
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675:. London. 9 July 1962. p. 5.
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16:1960 British film by Joseph Losey
1486:Films scored by John Dankworth
1476:Films directed by Joseph Losey
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568:he felt that had been done in
1:
1456:British black-and-white films
1215:The Man Who Could Cheat Death
619:
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1471:1960s English-language films
976:The Assassination of Trotsky
608:
7:
1335:Dracula: Prince of Darkness
1167:The Revenge of Frankenstein
872:The Gypsy and the Gentleman
10:
1517:
1461:British prison drama films
1279:The Pirates of Blood River
1247:The Siege of Sidney Street
1100:The Horror of Frankenstein
173:October 28, 1960
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1151:The Curse of Frankenstein
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1423:The Devil and Max Devlin
1383:Whoever Slew Auntie Roo?
542:as prisoner (uncredited)
1407:Ebony, Ivory & Jade
1263:The Terror of the Tongs
792:The Boy with Green Hair
691:www.screenonline.org.uk
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314:
1451:1960 crime drama films
1343:Deadlier Than the Male
1311:The Devil-Ship Pirates
1199:The Trollenberg Terror
960:Figures in a Landscape
512:Tom Gerard as Quantock
1231:The Brides of Dracula
856:The Intimate Stranger
832:Stranger on the Prowl
633:Caute, David (1994).
1391:Scream, Pretty Peggy
1191:Blood of the Vampire
467:John Molloy as Snipe
464:Jack Rodney as Scout
235:) is a 1960 British
19:For other uses, see
1496:1960s British films
1466:British heist films
308:in his film debut.
232:The Concrete Jungle
145:Merton Park Studios
1491:1960s prison films
1135:A Man on the Beach
1108:Lust for a Vampire
1016:Roads to the South
848:A Man on the Beach
840:The Sleeping Tiger
778:Films directed by
479:as Alfredo Fanucci
419:as Prison Governor
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1255:The Hellfire Club
1116:Fear in the Night
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864:Time Without Pity
435:Kenneth J. Warren
405:Laurence Naismith
371:as Johnny Bannion
298:Laurence Naismith
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657:. p. X9.
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246:and starring
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780:Joseph Losey
738:The Criminal
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727:The Criminal
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694:. Retrieved
690:
681:
673:The Guardian
672:
654:
636:Joseph Losey
635:
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615:
612:
588:
580:Albert Dimes
569:
565:Joseph Losey
563:
548:(uncredited)
546:Danny Sewell
534:Charles Lamb
516:Larry Taylor
483:Jerold Wells
471:Brian Phelan
453:Kenneth Cope
447:Robert Adams
417:Noel Willman
393:Jill Bennett
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290:Jill Bennett
272:
268:Albert Dimes
260:Jill Bennett
244:Joseph Losey
242:directed by
231:
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226:The Criminal
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190:Running time
166:Release date
71:(uncredited)
49:Joseph Losey
31:The Criminal
25:
21:The Criminal
1183:The Snorkel
1092:As director
912:The Servant
816:The Prowler
800:The Lawless
595:Roy Dotrice
571:The Killing
554:as Prisoner
552:Kenny Lynch
536:as Mr. Able
528:Edward Judd
507:Nigel Green
501:Keith Smith
387:Margit Saad
355:narrow boat
347:prison riot
336:Italian mob
334:In prison,
264:Margit Saad
100:Margit Saad
76:Produced by
45:Directed by
1446:1960 films
1440:Categories
1399:The Legacy
904:The Damned
880:Blind Date
620:References
560:Production
524:as Antlers
518:as Charles
443:as Barrows
437:as Clobber
407:as Mr Town
401:as Edwards
389:as Suzanne
286:Cleo Laine
240:crime film
194:97 minutes
177:1960-10-28
137:Production
1367:Crescendo
1327:The Nanny
1303:Nightmare
1287:Paranoiac
1223:The Mummy
1127:As writer
1083:Films by
1032:The Trout
609:Reception
578:gangster
540:Bob Grant
503:as Hanson
497:as O'Hara
425:as Priest
413:as Formby
395:as Maggie
325:racetrack
274:Alun Owen
116:Edited by
59:Alun Owen
1319:Hysteria
1040:Steaming
936:Accident
696:30 April
491:as Flynn
489:Tom Bell
455:as Kelly
449:as Judas
237:neo-noir
207:Language
184:(London)
126:Music by
84:Starring
65:Story by
1159:Dracula
992:Galileo
321:paroled
218:£60,000
210:English
199:Country
175: (
139:company
1426:(1981)
1418:(1981)
1410:(1979)
1402:(1978)
1394:(1973)
1386:(1972)
1378:(1971)
1370:(1970)
1362:(1970)
1354:(1968)
1346:(1967)
1338:(1966)
1330:(1965)
1322:(1965)
1314:(1964)
1306:(1964)
1298:(1963)
1295:Maniac
1290:(1963)
1282:(1962)
1274:(1961)
1266:(1961)
1258:(1961)
1250:(1960)
1242:(1960)
1234:(1960)
1226:(1959)
1218:(1959)
1210:(1959)
1202:(1958)
1194:(1958)
1186:(1958)
1178:(1958)
1170:(1958)
1162:(1958)
1154:(1957)
1146:(1956)
1138:(1955)
1119:(1972)
1111:(1971)
1103:(1970)
1043:(1985)
1035:(1982)
1027:(1979)
1019:(1978)
1011:(1976)
1003:(1975)
995:(1975)
987:(1973)
979:(1972)
971:(1971)
963:(1970)
955:(1968)
947:(1968)
939:(1967)
931:(1966)
923:(1964)
915:(1963)
907:(1963)
899:(1962)
891:(1960)
883:(1959)
875:(1958)
867:(1957)
859:(1956)
851:(1955)
843:(1954)
835:(1952)
827:(1951)
819:(1951)
811:(1951)
803:(1950)
795:(1948)
509:as Ted
461:as Sol
262:, and
215:Budget
944:Boom!
721:IMDb
698:2023
601:and
576:Soho
362:Cast
315:Plot
304:and
159:(UK)
896:Eva
741:at
730:at
719:at
1442::
689:.
663:^
645:^
605:.
597:,
593:,
586:.
300:,
296:,
292:,
280:.
258:,
254:,
250:,
1076:e
1069:t
1062:v
808:M
771:e
764:t
757:v
700:.
179:)
23:.
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