St. Benny the Dip
Encyclopedia
St. Benny the Dip is a 1951 American film directed by Edgar G. Ulmer.
The film is also known as Escape If You Can in the United Kingdom
.
It opens with one of the few depictions of the East River maritime area of New York City many years before it became the South Street Seaport
tourist attraction.
]), Monk (Lionel Stander
) and Matthew (Roland Young
]) are three small-time crooks trying to escape a police dragnet in New York City
. After hiding in a church and stealing church minister clothing, they emerge, dressed as priests, and eventually find shelter in an abandoned Bowery
mission. When local police officers mistake them for real ministers sent to restore the mission, they find themselves forced to go along by repairing the mission, holding services and feeding the poor. Eventually, they end up mending their own ways.
The film is also known as Escape If You Can in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
It opens with one of the few depictions of the East River maritime area of New York City many years before it became the South Street Seaport
South Street Seaport
The South Street Seaport is a historic area in the New York City borough of Manhattan, located where Fulton Street meets the East River, and adjacent to the Financial District. The Seaport is a designated historic district, distinct from the neighboring Financial District...
tourist attraction.
Plot summary
Benny (Dick HaymesDick Haymes
Richard Benjamin "Dick" Haymes was an Argentine actor and one of the most popular male vocalists of the 1940s and early 1950s. He was the older brother of Bob Haymes, who was an actor, television host, and songwriter....
]), Monk (Lionel Stander
Lionel Stander
Lionel Jay Stander was an American actor in films, radio, theater and television.-Early life and career:Lionel Stander was born in The Bronx, New York, to Russian Jewish immigrants, the first of three children...
) and Matthew (Roland Young
Roland Young
Roland Young was an English actor.-Early life and career:Born in London, England, Young was educated at Sherborne School, Dorset and the University of London before being accepted into Royal Academy of Dramatic Art...
]) are three small-time crooks trying to escape a police dragnet in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. After hiding in a church and stealing church minister clothing, they emerge, dressed as priests, and eventually find shelter in an abandoned Bowery
Bowery
Bowery may refer to:Streets:* The Bowery, a thoroughfare in Manhattan, New York City* Bowery Street is a street on Coney Island in Brooklyn, N.Y.In popular culture:* Bowery Amphitheatre, a building on the Bowery in New York City...
mission. When local police officers mistake them for real ministers sent to restore the mission, they find themselves forced to go along by repairing the mission, holding services and feeding the poor. Eventually, they end up mending their own ways.
Cast
- Dick HaymesDick HaymesRichard Benjamin "Dick" Haymes was an Argentine actor and one of the most popular male vocalists of the 1940s and early 1950s. He was the older brother of Bob Haymes, who was an actor, television host, and songwriter....
as Benny - Nina FochNina FochNina Foch was a Dutch-born American actress and leading lady in many 1940s and 1950s films.- Personal life :...
as Linda Kovacs - Roland YoungRoland YoungRoland Young was an English actor.-Early life and career:Born in London, England, Young was educated at Sherborne School, Dorset and the University of London before being accepted into Royal Academy of Dramatic Art...
as Matthew - Lionel StanderLionel StanderLionel Jay Stander was an American actor in films, radio, theater and television.-Early life and career:Lionel Stander was born in The Bronx, New York, to Russian Jewish immigrants, the first of three children...
as Monk Williams - Freddie BartholomewFreddie BartholomewFrederick Cecil Bartholomew , known for his acting work as Freddie Bartholomew, was an English-American child actor. One of the most famous child actors of all time, he became very popular in 1930s Hollywood films...
as Reverend Wilbur - Oskar Karlweis as Mr. Kovacs
- William A. Lee as Police Sergeant Monahan
- Dick Gordon as Reverend Miles
- Jean Casto as Mrs. Mary Williams
- Eddie Wells as Patrolman McAvoy
- James Bender as House Detective