This 1960 Hammer production gives film noir a touch of Northern grit as Stanley Baker hunts an escaped convict through the streets of Manchester.
Inspector Harry Martineau put Don Starling away and, when he hears he’s escaped, he knows in his gut he’ll come back to Manchester. Sure enough Starling does return and organises a robbery in order to get some going away money, but things go wrong and a girl is killed. Knowing he faces the death penalty if caught he’ll do anything to avoid capture but Martineau closes in on him and the film climaxes with an excellent rooftop shootout between the two men.
This is Baker’s film, bringing Martineau to life both as the dogged professional cop and the man whose home life is falling apart. There’s none of the histrionics you might expect, with the film doing a decent job of presenting real(ish) police work. Martineau gets his man through belligerence and intimidation and hard work not beating confessions out of people.
There’s a good supporting cast backing Baker up. Donald Pleasence gives the part of Gus Hawkins (the man whose money gets stolen) his own unique touch (he’s constantly blowing his nose with a large white handkerchief) and as Hawkins much younger and unfaithful wife Billie Whitelaw won herself a most promising newcomer BAFTA nomination.
The only bum note is provided by John Crawford as the violent criminal Starling. It’s not that the American is bad in the role, he does menacing quite well, just that he feels out of place, with Baker’s comment about growing up with him and going to the same school leaving you wondering why he sounds like a Yank.
Baker’s main co-star in the film though is the city itself. The film was shot on location and it helps bring the story to life. Arthur Grant turned in some great work for Hammer (Plague of the Zombies being a personal favourite) and his widescreen “Hammerscope” cinematography here is among his best.
Director Val Guest’s career had its ups and downs; the first two Quatermass films ranking among his best while his final film, The Boys in Blue (starring Cannon and Ball), must rank as the ultimate low. Hell is a City is among his best work, capturing the times brilliantly and yet still feeling fresh and involving today.
