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Escape by Night

Original title: Clash by Night
  • 1963
  • Approved
  • 1h 15m
IMDb RATING
6.2/10
306
YOUR RATING
Escape by Night (1963)
CrimeDrama

A prisoner transport bus hijacked to free one inmate. Other prisoners locked in petrol-soaked barn, warned not to escape. Police find freed prisoner dead in crash, race to find bus and priso... Read allA prisoner transport bus hijacked to free one inmate. Other prisoners locked in petrol-soaked barn, warned not to escape. Police find freed prisoner dead in crash, race to find bus and prisoners before barn catches fire.A prisoner transport bus hijacked to free one inmate. Other prisoners locked in petrol-soaked barn, warned not to escape. Police find freed prisoner dead in crash, race to find bus and prisoners before barn catches fire.

  • Director
    • Montgomery Tully
  • Writers
    • Maurice J. Wilson
    • Montgomery Tully
    • Rupert Croft-Cooke
  • Stars
    • Terence Longdon
    • Jennifer Jayne
    • Harry Fowler
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.2/10
    306
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Montgomery Tully
    • Writers
      • Maurice J. Wilson
      • Montgomery Tully
      • Rupert Croft-Cooke
    • Stars
      • Terence Longdon
      • Jennifer Jayne
      • Harry Fowler
    • 12User reviews
    • 3Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos1

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    Top cast25

    Edit
    Terence Longdon
    Terence Longdon
    • Martin Lord
    Jennifer Jayne
    Jennifer Jayne
    • Nita Lord
    Harry Fowler
    Harry Fowler
    • Doug Roberts
    Peter Sallis
    Peter Sallis
    • Victor Lush
    Alan Wheatley
    Alan Wheatley
    • Ronald Grey-Simmons
    Vanda Godsell
    Vanda Godsell
    • Mrs. Grey-Simmons
    Arthur Lovegrove
    • Ernie Peel
    Hilda Fenemore
    Hilda Fenemore
    • Mrs. Peel
    Mark Dignam
    Mark Dignam
    • Sydney Selwyn
    John Arnatt
    John Arnatt
    • Inspector Croft
    Richard Carpenter
    Richard Carpenter
    • Danny Watts
    Stanley Meadows
    Stanley Meadows
    • George Brett
    Robert Brown
    Robert Brown
    • Mawsley
    Tom Bowman
    • Bart Rennison
    Ray Austin
    Ray Austin
    • The Intruder
    • (as Ray Austen)
    Geoffrey Denton
    Geoffrey Denton
    • Station Sergeant
    • (uncredited)
    Harvey Hall
    Harvey Hall
    • Guard Outside Barn
    • (uncredited)
    Patrick Halpin
    • Man in Dog Track Bar
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Montgomery Tully
    • Writers
      • Maurice J. Wilson
      • Montgomery Tully
      • Rupert Croft-Cooke
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews12

    6.2306
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    Featured reviews

    5crumpytv

    B Movie Thriller with Familiar Faces.

    Recorded this from Talking Pictures channel. Interesting for the ensemble of familiar sixties actors. Harry Fowler (Army Game), Terence Longden (Garry Halliday), Jennifer Jayne (William Tell), Alan Wheatley (Robin Hood), Vanda Godsell (The Newcomers). It was an interesting enough story, but, Terence Longden and Harry Fowler apart, generally the acting was all a bit hammy. Interesting that an integral part of the plot was not actually shown on screen.
    7mcdermc

    PC. Ventress / William Simons

    One of the two leather-jacketed 'heavies' guarding the barn is a very young version of Heartbeat's Alf Ventress.

    PS: Always enjoyed the double casting of Simon Williams & William Simons in the first episode of the Inspector Alleyn series.
    8Weirdling_Wolf

    Strike a light, mayte!!! you'll be awlright wiv the high-octane 'Escape by Night'.

    'Clash by Night' aka 'Escape by Night' (1964) is some terrifically thrilling, nerve-drilling, pulse-hijacking, hard-hitting Brit-crime celluloid from the 1960s! This boisterous, roustabout B-movie features a VERY unusually sinister performance by Peter Sallis as backward child killer Victor Lush! One of the best creepy-claustrophobic crims locked in a petrol-soaked barn on Bonfire night crime thrillers I've ever seen!! And, cor blimey, mayte! If it don' 'ave quite the most incendiary finale, guv'! And once again the ubiquitous Harry Fowler woz on spiv-tastic form! 'Escape by Night' gotta liver-lashing kick on it like a generously gelignited Gin-spritzer!!!! Strike a light, mayte!!! You'll be awlright wiv the high-octane 'Escape by Night'.
    6magyardave2002

    Lively (if slightly dated) British drama

    This looked to be a possibly decent action movie from the early 1960's and I wasn't disappointed. Having missed the opening credits when it was shown on television, I nonetheless identified four of the cast (Longdon, Sallis, Fowler, Meadows); all stalwarts of British screen and TV. The plot could have been straight from 'The Tales of Edgar Wallace', the box-set of which I own and love! England isn't like it's portrayed here anymore but it was like that then in terms of values, crime and punishment, scenery, dress and even the vehicles and road markings etc. People shared WW2 experiences and this often included the characters and of course the actors who are so professional in their performances despite some shortcomings in story and other aspects of film-making. Yes, it's not as good as some of my favourite classic British films from the preceding years such as 'The Cruel Sea' or 'The League of Gentlemen' but this has a decent 'B' movie plot including one or two unexpected twists and keeps your attention until the not entirely predictable ending.
    1sausalito-93893

    Way below average

    Other reviewers on this page have pointed out the glaring implausibility of the plot's central planks but that aside, the script, even allowing for the strictures of the period, is laughably bad. Compare The League of Gentlemen from 3 years earlier - another plot bringing together a group of ne'er-do-wells - with Bryan Forbes' clever, arch script nudging knowingly against the limits set by the mores of the time. That's how it could be done. Meanwhile, in Clash By Night: 'I shan't tell you again' is the stern admonishment of a prison officer to one of his charges who is talking too much on the bus. And 'They must be very proud of you' one of the prisoners tells the other prison officer, with no trace of irony, on hearing he lives at home with mum and dad, as they sit having a bit of a chat a few feet from the murdered corpse of his colleague and with the very real prospect of death by immolation hanging over them. I think most of us allow a bit of leeway when watching films from earlier eras, they can be interesting for all sorts of reasons but, frankly, this is dreadful.

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    Related interests

    James Gandolfini, Edie Falco, Sharon Angela, Max Casella, Dan Grimaldi, Joe Perrino, Donna Pescow, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Tony Sirico, and Michael Drayer in The Sopranos (1999)
    Crime
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    Drama

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Last Film of Alan Wheatley.
    • Goofs
      The Prison Bus is held up by an Austin Healey coming out of a side road across its bows. When they move off the Healey has to straighten up before proceeding. In scenes inside the bus however, the rear of the car can be seen clearly through the windscreen, already straight in the road ahead.
    • Quotes

      Mawsley: [waiting for the prison bus to set off] Look here Roberts, I won't tell you again, stop talking.

      Doug Roberts: Sorry sir, I was only asking him the time.

      Mawsley: The time ? what do you want to know that for ? Where you're going you'll need a calendar, not a clock.

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 29, 1964 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Clash by Night
    • Filming locations
      • MGM British Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK(Studio)
    • Production company
      • Eternal Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 15m(75 min)
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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