The Weapon (film)
| The Weapon | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Directed by |
Val Guest Hal E. Chester (uncredited) |
| Produced by |
Frank Bevis Hal E. Chester |
| Written by |
Hal E. Chester Fred Freiberger |
| Starring |
Steve Cochran Lizabeth Scott Herbert Marshall Nicole Maurey |
| Music by | James Stevens |
| Cinematography | Reginald H. Wyer |
| Edited by | Peter Rolfe Johnson |
Production company |
Republic Pictures Periclean Productions |
| Distributed by | Eros Films (UK) |
Release date | September 1956 |
Running time | 77 minutes |
| Country | Great Britain |
| Language | English |
The Weapon is a 1956 British thriller film directed by Val Guest. It was made by Republic Pictures.[1] Its themes were originally explored in the 1951 British film, The Yellow Balloon.[2]
Plot
Lizabeth Scott plays Elsa Jenner, widowed mother to her young son Erik. Whilst playing with friends in an abandoned and deteriorated old building, Erik finds a small handgun stuck in a lump of concrete. As all the boys try and pull it free, it accidentally fires a shot from Erik's hands, hitting another boy. Believing he has killed his friend, Erik immediately runs away.
Locating Erik becomes the mission of Captain Mark Andrews (Steve Cochran), who soon discovers the gun Erik found has a past that may have caused a dangerous criminal to pursue the young boy. As he inches closer to finding Erik, Andrews comes across Vivienne (Nicole Maurey), a dance hall hostess with a connection to the gun's original owner. But she has all but lost her faith in all things good, declaring to Andrews "I am dead".
As Andrews continues his investigation into the whereabouts of the gun, Erik's mother Elsa finally locates her son, with the assistance of helpful though relative stranger Joshua Henry. Erik had apparently stolen a bottle of milk from Henry, though Erik has no memory of this. It soon becomes clear that Henry is the one with ill intentions, prompting Elsa to demand Erik run away for help. Henry runs after the boy, leaving Elsa in the passenger side of a speeding car.
After crashing into a ditch, members of the public come to Elsa's aid. Among them is Captain Andrews, with whom she pleads not to worry about her, and save her son instead. Andrews immediately enters the old building where Henry was seen running, where shots are fired. But after both parties exhaust their weapons, a long fall to death awaits.
Cast
- Mark Andrews - Steve Cochran
- Elsa Jenner - Lizabeth Scott
- Joshua Henry - George Cole
- Superintendent Mackenzie - Herbert Marshall
- Vivienne - Nicole Maurey
- Erik - Jon Whiteley
- Jamison - Laurence Naismith
- The Colonel - Stanley Maxted
- Groggins - Denis Shaw
- Johnson - John Horsley
- Fitzsimmons - Fred Johnson
- Jimmy - Frazer Hines (Uncredited)
- David - Peter Godsell (Uncredited)
- Johnny - Terry Cooke (Uncredited)
Critical reception
Britmovie called it "a well-crafted, energetic suspense thriller",[2] while Leonard Maltin called it a "minor but trim story of youngster who accidentally shoots his pal and runs away." [3]
External links
See also
References
- ↑ "The Weapon". BFI.
- 1 2 "The Weapon".
- ↑ "The Weapon (1957) - Overview - TCM.com". Turner Classic Movies.