Turn the Key Softly (1953)
Overview
A bitter burglar, a prostitute and an elderly shoplifter spend their first day out of jail.
Cast
Yvonne Mitchell
Monica Marsden
Terence Morgan
David
Joan Collins
Stella Jarvis
Kathleen Harrison
Granny Quilliam
Thora Hird
Mrs. Rowan, landlady
Geoffrey Keen
Mr Gregory
Simone Silva
Marie (uncredited)
Dorothy Alison
Joan
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CinemaSerf
Three women are released from prison at the same time on the same day and arrange to meet for a drink later that evening. Their paths diverge with one - petty shoplifter Kathleen Harrison anxious to get home to her "Tommy"; Joan Collins to her bus conductor boyfriend "Bob" (Glyn Houston) and finally Yvonne Mitchell ("Monica") who appears to have been set up by her safe-cracking boyfriend "David" (Terence Morgan). The narrative tracks their day - sometimes joyful, sometimes sad - but usually interesting. Sadly, Collins, who has a bit of a penchant for fleecing elderly men, adds very little to the proceedings; it's down to an engaging performance from Harrison and a troubled one from Mitchell to inject some humour, depth and personality to this curious triptych. The last half hour dominates the well written screenplay as a tense rooftop robbery goes awry, and the cops close in... It's got some interesting scenes from post war London, a lovely one where folks cram onto the tube, just as they do 70 years later, and a sense of the glamour and social divisions that were starting to fade as Britain emerged from the War years, and is worth watching for that alone.
