Crosstrap
Encyclopedia
Crosstrap is a 1962 British B-movie
crime film starring Laurence Payne
, Jill Adams
and Gary Cockrell and marking the directorial debut of Robert Hartford-Davis
. The screenplay was adapted from a novel by John Newton Chance and the film was reportedly unusually graphic for its time in its depiction of on-screen violence, with one reviewer describing a "climactic blood-bath where corpses bite the dust as freely as Indians in a John Ford
western".
Geoff and Sally find themselves being held captive, and matters take a turn for the worse when Juan and his men also arrive on the scene, forcing a stand-off between the two factions during which Geoff and Sally are roughly-treated by both sides. Duke starts to fall for Sally, and his obvious interest in her antagonises his girlfriend Rina (Zena Marshall
). Eventually there is a bloody shoot-out between the rival gangs, with Duke's men getting the better of the exchange. Duke boards a plane to make good his escape with the valuables, but the plane is shot down by the jealous and vengeful Rina.
) and "brawny but brainless" (Kine Weekly
). The Daily Cinema was less dismissive, labelling it an "incredible but lively tale of gang-warfare, packed with hearty action and intrigue, plus a spot of sex for flavour" offering "robust...programme support".
, another film adapted from a Newton Chance novel. There is no record of the film after this point. There is no indication that it was ever shown on television in the UK, and attempts to trace a print of the film have proved fruitless. The film is not held in the BFI National Archive
and, unusually, the BFI has been unable even to locate any stills or other publicity material.
Crosstrap is regarded as being of great interest by film historians as the debut of Hartford-Davis, who would go on to direct a number of cult 1960s films which pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable at the time in terms of sexual content (That Kind of Girl
, The Yellow Teddy Bears
) or violence (Corruption), alongside others which provide a very time-specific depiction of Swinging London
(Saturday Night Out
, The Sandwich Man
). It is one of two Hartford-Davis films (with Nobody Ordered Love from 1971) which the BFI includes on its "75 Most Wanted
" list of missing British feature films.
B-movie
A B movie is a low-budget commercial motion picture that is not definitively an arthouse or pornographic film. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified a film intended for distribution as the less-publicized, bottom half of a double feature....
crime film starring Laurence Payne
Laurence Payne
Laurence Payne was an English actor and novelist.-Early life:Laurence Stanley Payne was born in London. His father died when he was three years old, and he and his elder brother and sister were brought up in by their mother, a Wesleyan Methodist in Wood Green, London...
, Jill Adams
Jill Adams
Jill Adams was an English actress artist and fashion model. She featured or starred in over 25 films during the 1950s and 1960s....
and Gary Cockrell and marking the directorial debut of Robert Hartford-Davis
Robert Hartford-Davis
Robert Hartford-Davis was a British born producer, director and writer, who worked on film and television in both in the United Kingdom and United States. He is also sometimes credited as Michael Burrowes or Robert Hartford....
. The screenplay was adapted from a novel by John Newton Chance and the film was reportedly unusually graphic for its time in its depiction of on-screen violence, with one reviewer describing a "climactic blood-bath where corpses bite the dust as freely as Indians in a John Ford
John Ford
John Ford was an American film director. He was famous for both his westerns such as Stagecoach, The Searchers, and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, and adaptations of such classic 20th-century American novels as The Grapes of Wrath...
western".
Plot
Novelist Geoff (Cockrell) and his wife Sally (Adams) rent an isolated countyside bungalow to enable Geoff to finish his latest book without the distractions of life in London. On their arrival, they are horrified to find a dead man in the property and before they can report the discovery they are confronted by Duke (Payne), a gangland boss, and his henchmen who have, it transipres, been using the empty property as a hide-out for stolen valuables which they are planning to smuggle out of the country. A rival gangster, Juan (Derek Sydney), also has his eye on the goods and has discovered their whereabouts. The dead man is one of his minions.Geoff and Sally find themselves being held captive, and matters take a turn for the worse when Juan and his men also arrive on the scene, forcing a stand-off between the two factions during which Geoff and Sally are roughly-treated by both sides. Duke starts to fall for Sally, and his obvious interest in her antagonises his girlfriend Rina (Zena Marshall
Zena Marshall
Zena Moyra Marshall was a British actress of film and television.She attended St Mary's, Ascot and trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art...
). Eventually there is a bloody shoot-out between the rival gangs, with Duke's men getting the better of the exchange. Duke boards a plane to make good his escape with the valuables, but the plane is shot down by the jealous and vengeful Rina.
Cast
- Laurence PayneLaurence PayneLaurence Payne was an English actor and novelist.-Early life:Laurence Stanley Payne was born in London. His father died when he was three years old, and he and his elder brother and sister were brought up in by their mother, a Wesleyan Methodist in Wood Green, London...
as Duke - Jill AdamsJill AdamsJill Adams was an English actress artist and fashion model. She featured or starred in over 25 films during the 1950s and 1960s....
as Sally - Gary Cockrell as Geoff
- Zena MarshallZena MarshallZena Moyra Marshall was a British actress of film and television.She attended St Mary's, Ascot and trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art...
as Rina - Bill Nagy as Gaunt
- Robert Cawdron as Joe
- Larry Taylor as Peron
- Max Faulkner as Ricky
- Derek Sydney as Juan
- Michael Turner as Hoagy
Reception
Crosstrap appears to have received a mainly negative critical reception, with verdicts such as "overacted, ludicrous and amateurish" (Monthly Film BulletinMonthly Film Bulletin
The Monthly Film Bulletin was a periodical of the British Film Institute published monthly from February 1934 to April 1991. It reviewed all films on release in the United Kingdom, including those with a narrow arthouse release. The MFB was edited in the mid-1950s by David Robinson, in the late...
) and "brawny but brainless" (Kine Weekly
Kine Weekly
The Kinematograph Weekly, popularly known as Kine Weekly, was a trade newspaper catering to the British film industry. It was published in Britain between 1889 and 1971.-Publication history:...
). The Daily Cinema was less dismissive, labelling it an "incredible but lively tale of gang-warfare, packed with hearty action and intrigue, plus a spot of sex for flavour" offering "robust...programme support".
Later history
Crosstrap was originally released to cinemas as a supporting film in January 1962 by Unifilms Ltd. Unusually for a supporting feature, it was later picked up by Monarch Films for another cinema outing as a double-bill feature in 1967, possibly as a result of the success of that year's Night of the Big HeatNight of the Big Heat (1967 film)
Night of the Big Heat is a 1967 British sci-fi horror film released by Planet Film Productions, based on a 1959 novel of the same name by John Lymington. It was released in the United States in 1971 under the title Island of the Burning Damned and was double-billed with All Monsters Attack...
, another film adapted from a Newton Chance novel. There is no record of the film after this point. There is no indication that it was ever shown on television in the UK, and attempts to trace a print of the film have proved fruitless. The film is not held in the BFI National Archive
BFI National Archive
The BFI National Archive is a department of the British Film Institute, and one of the largest film archives in the world. It was originally set up as the National Film Library in 1935; its first curator was Ernest Lindgren. In 1955 its name became the National Film Archive, and in 1992, the...
and, unusually, the BFI has been unable even to locate any stills or other publicity material.
Crosstrap is regarded as being of great interest by film historians as the debut of Hartford-Davis, who would go on to direct a number of cult 1960s films which pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable at the time in terms of sexual content (That Kind of Girl
That Kind of Girl
That Kind of Girl is a British cult film and the directorial debut of Gerry O'Hara. Produced by Robert Hartford-Davis with a script by Jan Read, it was released in 1963....
, The Yellow Teddy Bears
The Yellow Teddy Bears
The Yellow Teddy Bears is a 1963 British drama film directed by Robert Hartford-Davis and starring Jacqueline Ellis, Iain Gregory, Raymond Huntley and Georgina Patterson...
) or violence (Corruption), alongside others which provide a very time-specific depiction of Swinging London
Swinging London
Swinging London is a catch-all term applied to the fashion and cultural scene that flourished in London, in the 1960s.It was a youth-oriented phenomenon that emphasised the new and modern. It was a period of optimism and hedonism, and a cultural revolution. One catalyst was the recovery of the...
(Saturday Night Out
Saturday Night Out
Saturday Night Out is a 1964 British comedy drama film directed by Robert Hartford-Davis and starring Heather Sears, John Bonney, Bernard Lee, Erika Remberg, Francesca Annis, Margaret Nolan and David Lodge. A trio of merchant seamen and several passengers disembark from their ship when it arrives...
, The Sandwich Man
The Sandwich Man
The Sandwich Man is a 1966 British comedy film starring Michael Bentine, Dora Bryan, Harry H. Corbett, Bernard Cribbins, Diana Dors, Norman Wisdom, Terry-Thomas and Ian Hendry. It was written by Bentine in conjunction with Robert Hartford-Davis...
). It is one of two Hartford-Davis films (with Nobody Ordered Love from 1971) which the BFI includes on its "75 Most Wanted
BFI 75 Most Wanted
The BFI 75 Most Wanted is a list compiled by the British Film Institute of their most sought-after British feature films not currently held in the BFI National Archive, and classified as "missing, believed lost". The films chosen range from quota quickies and B-movies to lavish prestige...
" list of missing British feature films.
External links
- Crosstrap at BFI Film & TV Database