3 Steps to the Gallows

5/4/2024

Certainly one of John Gilling's better efforts, this enjoyable crime drama. An American merchant sailor (Scott Brady) arrives in London to look for his brother, only to discover that he has been convicted of murder and is just three days away from the hangmen's noose. Together with Mary Castle, a night-club singer he encounters they both decide to get to the truth - despite the risks from an unscrupulous gang of diamond smugglers. The plot is a little more complex that we'd expect from a B-movie like this, and much of it is shot out of the studio - lending it quite a bit of authenticity. The script isn't great; and the fisticuffs (and there are plenty) are just way too theatrical but it's a good all-round effort.