A former barmaid’s dreary life in post-war London is thrown into turmoil when her escaped convict ex-lover seeks refuge in her home.
In London’s East End, former barmaid Rose Sandigate (Googie Withers) lives a life of quiet frustration, married to the older George (Edward Chapman) and contending with the constraints of rationing. Her monotonous existence is shattered when her old flame, Tommy Swann (John McCallum), appears at her door after escaping from prison. Rose agrees to hide him in her bedroom, and her dormant feelings for him are rekindled. When his presence is discovered, Swann flees once more, sparking a police manhunt led by Detective Sergeant Fothergill (Jack Warner) and forcing Rose to confront the consequences of her decision.
Director Robert Hamer’s film is a key work of British post-war realism, embedding a tense melodrama within a richly detailed portrait of East End life. The narrative is driven by a fugitive’s return, but the film’s lasting power comes from its almost documentary-style observation of a community constrained by rationing, dreary housing, and frustrated desires. Googie Withers gives a commanding performance as a woman imprisoned by her domestic situation long before her former lover appears. The film excels in its creation of a social mosaic, populated by sharply drawn supporting characters who give the drama its authentic, lived-in texture. The real-life marriage of leads Withers and John McCallum injects an extra degree of tension into their on-screen relationship.
Production Co: Ealing / 92 minutes / 1947
Director: Robert Hamer
Screenplay: Angus MacPhail, Robert Hamer, Henry Cornelius
Music: Georges Auric
Main Cast: Googie Withers (Rose Sandigate), John McCallum (Tommy Swann), Edward Chapman (George Sandigate), Susan Shaw (Vi Sandigate), Patricia Plunkett (Doris Sandigate), Sydney Tafler (Morry Hyams), Jack Warner (Det. Sergt. Fothergill)
