I saw this as a kid at the cinema with my father on its release, and much later on television.
Things had certainly dated the second time around, but that's not really the movie's 'fault'. In 1961, censorship was still pretty strict as regards stuff like the depiction of criminal violence. And of course, the villains must never be seen to succeed.
At the same time - as other commentators have mentioned - it was filmed on Tyneside but without the 'Geordie' accent. The strength of that regional voice was still so marked at the time as to have been largely incomprehensible to the general (read, home counties) British public. It certainly wouldn't have been understood across the Atlantic. So; safe and clearly-spoken actors were parachuted in. And why not? Authenticity is not much use if it's incomprehensible.
Ten years later, even in the much grittier 'Get Carter', how many strong regional accents do you hear? Jack Carter himself is played by London-born-and-bred Micheal Caine. Whilst Ian Hendry, and John Osborne were likewise southern boys. In fact, the only genuine northerner with a substantial role was Alun Armstrong. The 'accented' rest mostly came from the midlands. It would take another 20 years (1991) and the appearance of Jimmy Nail's 'Spender' before the authentic voice of Tyneside would finally be heard in crime drama. So give it a break.
The players did pretty well for what was, as a British production, an evidently limited budget. Tom Bell was excellent. His was a sampler of what would later be realised as 'Frank Ross' in the well-crafted TV serial 'OUT', and later 'Prime Suspect'. Micheal Craig was adequate as a slimy-smart master villain. Dunno 'bout the French bird. Maybe to southern middle-class film-making luvvies, a French accent was easier on the ear than an English northern one.
The build-up of the plot was well paced and tense. The depiction of the robbery itself was extremely grim. You don't see the sort of preposterous gore and slaughter of a modern flick with its multiple camera sequences and endless flash-cutting, but it was dramatic enough and menacing enough to convey a very plausible sense of violence. The simplicity itself made it more convincing. That's something the slick directors of today with their plethora of special-effects seem to have forgotten. The flawed bank-robbery in 'Heat', for example, is no more tense for all of its mayhem and gunfire.
I agree that the story lost a little of its edge towards the end. The concept of a vengeful woman bringing the baddies to book was itself not a very original idea, being an element of Graham Greene's 'Brighton Rock'. But all the gang got their desserts in suitably unpleasant ways, and right finally prevailed.
I must also mention the unusual theme/incidental music which was rather daring for its time. A spartan 8-note base guitar riff like something concocted by 'The Shadows' provided extra layers of tension or respite, depending upon the tempo of the moment. It was simple and effective, and carried a surprising sense of menace when the jazz band upped the pace. One is again reminded of 'Get Carter, or even 'Pelham 123'.
I wouldn't exactly call this a 'gem' of a movie, but then it certainly wasn't bad either. A movie of the time, like 'Hell Drivers' or 'Frightened City'; you certainly got your money's worth, but not much else.
I'm giving it 7/10, which seems fair.
Things had certainly dated the second time around, but that's not really the movie's 'fault'. In 1961, censorship was still pretty strict as regards stuff like the depiction of criminal violence. And of course, the villains must never be seen to succeed.
At the same time - as other commentators have mentioned - it was filmed on Tyneside but without the 'Geordie' accent. The strength of that regional voice was still so marked at the time as to have been largely incomprehensible to the general (read, home counties) British public. It certainly wouldn't have been understood across the Atlantic. So; safe and clearly-spoken actors were parachuted in. And why not? Authenticity is not much use if it's incomprehensible.
Ten years later, even in the much grittier 'Get Carter', how many strong regional accents do you hear? Jack Carter himself is played by London-born-and-bred Micheal Caine. Whilst Ian Hendry, and John Osborne were likewise southern boys. In fact, the only genuine northerner with a substantial role was Alun Armstrong. The 'accented' rest mostly came from the midlands. It would take another 20 years (1991) and the appearance of Jimmy Nail's 'Spender' before the authentic voice of Tyneside would finally be heard in crime drama. So give it a break.
The players did pretty well for what was, as a British production, an evidently limited budget. Tom Bell was excellent. His was a sampler of what would later be realised as 'Frank Ross' in the well-crafted TV serial 'OUT', and later 'Prime Suspect'. Micheal Craig was adequate as a slimy-smart master villain. Dunno 'bout the French bird. Maybe to southern middle-class film-making luvvies, a French accent was easier on the ear than an English northern one.
The build-up of the plot was well paced and tense. The depiction of the robbery itself was extremely grim. You don't see the sort of preposterous gore and slaughter of a modern flick with its multiple camera sequences and endless flash-cutting, but it was dramatic enough and menacing enough to convey a very plausible sense of violence. The simplicity itself made it more convincing. That's something the slick directors of today with their plethora of special-effects seem to have forgotten. The flawed bank-robbery in 'Heat', for example, is no more tense for all of its mayhem and gunfire.
I agree that the story lost a little of its edge towards the end. The concept of a vengeful woman bringing the baddies to book was itself not a very original idea, being an element of Graham Greene's 'Brighton Rock'. But all the gang got their desserts in suitably unpleasant ways, and right finally prevailed.
I must also mention the unusual theme/incidental music which was rather daring for its time. A spartan 8-note base guitar riff like something concocted by 'The Shadows' provided extra layers of tension or respite, depending upon the tempo of the moment. It was simple and effective, and carried a surprising sense of menace when the jazz band upped the pace. One is again reminded of 'Get Carter, or even 'Pelham 123'.
I wouldn't exactly call this a 'gem' of a movie, but then it certainly wasn't bad either. A movie of the time, like 'Hell Drivers' or 'Frightened City'; you certainly got your money's worth, but not much else.
I'm giving it 7/10, which seems fair.