NAKED FURY – 1959 - UK Second time I've seen this low budget quickie from the U.K. The first time was a rather poor VHS copy, but this time I watched the very nice DVD copy put out by VCI. It is part of a UK Double bill feature.
Four men, Reed De Rouen, Ken Cope, Alex Field and Tommy Eytle have planned a break and enter at a factory warehouse. The night watchman, Eric Woodburn, is given a cosh on the head while they hit the safe and lift the contents.
A hitch in the plan happens as the crew makes their getaway. The watchman's daughter, Leigh Madison, arrives to visit her father. The boys grab Madison and bring her along to the hideout. The hideout is a ruined dockside warehouse. There they join the fifth member of the group, Arthur Lovegrove. Lovegrove is the lookout man in case anyone comes looking.
The leader of the group, Reed De Rouen, drags Madison to one of the top floor rooms and shoves her inside. The gang then goes over the take. The take ends up to be 50,000 pounds! This of course makes for a most happy group of crooks. De Rouen has made arrangements for transport out of the country on a freighter, which is leaving the next night. They just need to get through the next day.
That will give them time to decide what to do with the girl. De Rouen and Lovegrove stay at the warehouse while the others head back to their homes. They will meet the next night and board the freighter at midnight.
Of course the plan immediately starts to come apart. Field, a safe-cracker from the old days, is paid a visit the next morning by the Police. It is the old, "usual suspects" call whenever a robbery happens. Field's wife, Ann Lynn, gives the Police an alibi for her husband and they leave.
After the Police have left, Lynn turns to Field and demands half the take he will get from the job. Field agrees to the deal since he knows he is leaving the country that night. Then news that the night watchman has died from the injuries he received in the hold up. Now Lynn wants her cash today. Field again agrees and sets out to get the cash.
Field runs into fellow gang member Eytle, who also now needs his end of the robbery. His son is very ill and he needs the cash. The two talk and decide that Eytle will explain to De Rouen their need for the cash. Eytle is to get his own, as well as Field's end from De Rouen. Field returns home in-order to keep a close eye on wife, Lynn.
When Eytle reaches the warehouse, De Rouen leaves before Eytle can explain what he needs. De Rouen is in a hurry to make the final arrangements with the ship's captain, for their transport out of the country. Eytle sits and waits for the return of De Rouen.
As for the girl, Madison, De Rouen has told her she will not be harmed if she just agrees to say nothing. That of course changes, when they hear the news over the radio of Madison's father's death. Now De Rouen has to consider whether or not to kill Madison.
Now several more flies in the ointment appear. Arthur Gross, a prison buddy of Cope, talks him into taking the whole take just for them. With the use of a handy pistol that is. De Rouen is also having a problem with the ship Captain. He has upped his price to 20,000 pounds. He also heard about the death of the watchman. De Rouen agrees and returns to the hideout.
Back at Field's apartment, wife Lynn has decided that Field intends to split without giving her any cash, She gets on the blower and calls the Police. Field responds to this by beating her to death with a handy blunt object. Field just has no luck and gets pinched by the Law, as he exits the apartment.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Err, I mean, warehouse. There is a major beef developing. Cope and his "new" partner, Arthur Gross, are at the hideout to lift all the cash. De Rouen interrupts this move, which results in Gross being killed from a 4 story fall. The rotted wooden stairway to the upper floor has given out. Now everyone is trapped on the top floor with no way out.
And of course the whole building now decides to start collapsing. Eytle and Cope soon join Gross as the floor gives out under them. De Rouen helps the girl, Madison onto a concrete window ledge just as the floor under him also gives way.
A local cop, hearing the noise of the collapsing building, calls the fire brigade. They arrive and rescue Madison before the building completely folds in on itself. Arthur Lovegrove, the only one beside Madison to get out, is grabbed up as he tries to leave the scene. "A word if you please." The Bobbie says to him.
Excuse the somewhat disjointed write up. All this action happens in a 57 minute runtime. This one never slows down. Not a bad low budget time waster IMO. This quickie feature some very nice night time photography..
The director was UK film veteran, Charles Saunders. He worked mostly in bottom rung productions that include the likes of, DANGER BY MY SIDE, DEATH OF AN ANGEL, BLACK ORCHID, THE SCARLET WEB, ONE JUMP AHEAD, A TIME TO KILL, THE NARROWING CIRCLE, MURDER REPORTED, JUNGLE STREET, THE END OF THE LINE and the very good, MEET MR. CALLAGHAN and KILL HER GENTLY. (b/w)
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