The Quare Fellow
Directed by Arthur Dreifuss
Written by Arthur Dreifuss from a play by Brendan Behan
1962/UK
Liger
First viewing/Netflix renta
“Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement.” ― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
This anti-death-penalty film provided an opportunity to appreciate the young Patrick McGoohan and enjoy an hour-and-a-half of Irish brogues.
McGoohan plays Thomas Crimmen, a naive idealistic new prison guard. He has drawn the short end of the stick and been assigned to assist a veteran guard to oversee the last hours and hanging of a condemned man (“quare fellow” in Irish dialect).
During the few hours occupied by the story McGoohan finds himself sharing a boarding house with the widow-to-be (Sylvia Syms). A revelation leads to the possibility of a stay of execution.
McGoohan was certainly quite a looker and gave a very good performance. I could listen to Irish people talk for hours and had ample opportunity to here. The movie and its cast are very solid even if the story lacks basic credibility.
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