ON THE NIGHT OF THE FIRE is an engaging little bit of character drama mixed with important film noir tropes from Hollywood. The incongruous setting is Newcastle, where barber Ralph Richardson succumbs to petty theft in a moment of madness before finding his life quickly spiralling out of control. It's dark and gloomy stuff, with scenes of rampaging townsfolk reminiscent of the old Universal horrors, but the characters keep it grounded and interesting. Coming at the outset of WW2 this must have been bleak viewing indeed, which makes it an atypical kind of movie for its time.
Review of The Fugitive
