Pit of Darkness
Encyclopedia
Pit of Darkness is a 1961
British thriller film, directed by Lance Comfort
and starring William Franklyn
and Moira Redmond
. The film is an amnesia thriller dealing with a man's attempts to piece together a sequence of strange events in which he seems to have been involved during the time of which he has no memory, based on the novel To Dusty Death by Hugh McCutcheon.
Richard enlists Julie's help in trying to recover his memory of the peculiar goings-on of which he has no recollection. He soon becomes aware that he is being trailed by a group of mysterious men. Meanwhile in his confused mental state he is constantly tantalised by seemingly random and trivial things – a snatch of a popular song or a conversational nuance – which seem to strike a chord with him, for reasons for which he cannot account. He starts to experience flashbacks so momentary and fleeting that they are gone before his conscious mind can seize them. He begins to question the validity of the assumptions under which he is working, wondering if he may indeed have been involved in criminal activity which his mind has blocked out as a defence mechanism, and even begins to doubt Julie's integrity, questioning whether she may have far more knowledge of, and personal involvement in, what has been happening than she is letting on. Matters reach a head when he is lured to a country house and confronts a group of men in possession of a bomb. The resulting intrigue finally appears to jolt his memory back into place, and he believes he has found the explanation for what has been going on.
1961 in film
The year 1961 in film involved some significant events, with West Side Story winning 10 Academy Awards.-Top grossing films : After theatrical re-issue- Awards :Academy Awards:* Atlantis, the Lost ContinentB...
British thriller film, directed by Lance Comfort
Lance Comfort
Lance Comfort was an English film director and producer born in Harrow, London.With a career spanning over 25 years he became one of the most prolific film directors in Britain though never gained critical attention and remained on the fringes of the film industry creating mostly B movies.Comfort...
and starring William Franklyn
William Franklyn
William Leo Franklyn was a British actor, perhaps best known for voicing the "Schhh... You Know Who" adverts for Schweppes from 1965 to 1973...
and Moira Redmond
Moira Redmond
Moira Redmond was a British actress.She was born in Bognor Regis, England, the daughter of the actress Molly Redmond and her husband who was a stage manager...
. The film is an amnesia thriller dealing with a man's attempts to piece together a sequence of strange events in which he seems to have been involved during the time of which he has no memory, based on the novel To Dusty Death by Hugh McCutcheon.
Plot
Safe-designer Richard Logan (Franklyn) comes to consciousness on a patch of waste ground with no recollection of how he came to be there. Assuming he must have been attacked and hit over the head, but feeling no apparent ill-effects, he returns home to wife Julie (Redmond) to apologise for being late and tell his story. He is astonished to learn from Julie that he has been missing not for a few hours, but for three weeks. Furthermore, a troubling series of events has occurred during his absence, which appear to point to his involvement in criminal activity. A safe which he personally installed in a large house has been robbed and its contents stolen, with no explanation as to how its supposedly foolproof security mechanisms were so easily overridden. In an attempt to trace her missing husband, Julie has employed a private detective, who discovered evidence implicating Richard of involvement with another woman, and more seriously the private detective has recently been found murdered.Richard enlists Julie's help in trying to recover his memory of the peculiar goings-on of which he has no recollection. He soon becomes aware that he is being trailed by a group of mysterious men. Meanwhile in his confused mental state he is constantly tantalised by seemingly random and trivial things – a snatch of a popular song or a conversational nuance – which seem to strike a chord with him, for reasons for which he cannot account. He starts to experience flashbacks so momentary and fleeting that they are gone before his conscious mind can seize them. He begins to question the validity of the assumptions under which he is working, wondering if he may indeed have been involved in criminal activity which his mind has blocked out as a defence mechanism, and even begins to doubt Julie's integrity, questioning whether she may have far more knowledge of, and personal involvement in, what has been happening than she is letting on. Matters reach a head when he is lured to a country house and confronts a group of men in possession of a bomb. The resulting intrigue finally appears to jolt his memory back into place, and he believes he has found the explanation for what has been going on.
Cast
- William FranklynWilliam FranklynWilliam Leo Franklyn was a British actor, perhaps best known for voicing the "Schhh... You Know Who" adverts for Schweppes from 1965 to 1973...
as Richard Logan - Moira RedmondMoira RedmondMoira Redmond was a British actress.She was born in Bognor Regis, England, the daughter of the actress Molly Redmond and her husband who was a stage manager...
as Julie Logan - Leonard SachsLeonard SachsLeonard Sachs was a British actor.-Early life and career:Sachs was born in South Africa in the town of Roodepoort, Transvaal...
as Clifton Conrad - Bruno BarnabeBruno BarnabeBruno Barnabe was a British film and stage actor. He performed in the West End, on Broadway, and in Egypt, Australia, and New Zealand.- Biography :...
as Maxie - Nigel GreenNigel GreenNigel Green was a South African-born English character actor. Because of his strapping build and commanding demeanour he would often be found playing military types and men of action in such classic sixties films as Jason and the Argonauts, Zulu, Tobruk and The Ipcress File.-Early life and...
as Jonathan - Antony Booth as Ted Melia
- Nanette NewmanNanette Newman-Early life:Newman was born in Northampton, England. She was educated at Sternhold College, the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts stage school and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.-Career:...
as Mary - Bruce Beeby as Peter Mayhew
- Humphrey Lestocq as Bill Underwood
- Jacqueline Jones as Mavis
- Michael Balfour as Fisher
External links
- Pit of Darkness at BFI Film & TV Database