Hell Is Empty

109 minutesCountryUnited KingdomLanguageEnglish

Hell is Empty is a 1967 British crime film directed by Bernard Knowles and John Ainsworth, and starring Martine Carol, Anthony Steel, Shirley Anne Field and James Robertson Justice.^[1][2]

Filming began in 1965 under the direction of Bernard Knowles, but was suspended on the death of Martine Carol. Production was later resumed with John Ainsworth as director.^[3]

Premise

On the run from the police, thieves stumble upon an abandoned mansion on a deserted island.^[4]

Cast

• Martine Carol as Martine Grant
• Anthony Steel as Major Morton
• James Robertson Justice as Angus McGee
• Shirley Anne Field as Shirley McGee
• Isa Miranda as Isa Grant
• Carl Möhner as Carl Schultz
• Robert Rietti as Robert Grant
• Jess Conrad as Jess Shepherd
• Anthony Dawson as Paul Grant
• Catherine Schell as Catherine Grant (as Catherine von Schell)
• Irene von Meyendorff as Helen McGee
• Patricia Viterbo as Patricia
• Anna Gaël as Anna
• Eugene Deckers as counsel
• Sheila Burrell as judge

Production

The film was made by Absorbing Films, which had been set up by Michael Eaton-Eland, a prominent London figure^{[citation needed]}, who wanted to move into filmmaking. Filming started in December 1965 on the isle of Capri. It was Martine Carol's first movie in three years^[5] and one of a number of films Steel made in Europe.^[6]

The film was shot in Italy and Yugoslavia. However several of the actors and technicians claimed they had not been paid. Filming came to a halt. Carole married Eaton-Eland in June 1966, at which stage the film had not been completed.^[7]

Carol died of a heart attack in February 1967.^[8] Production resumed under director John Ainsworth.

Reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "The nonsensical story, which ten years ago might at least have had an overtone of reality within a small budget black-and-white framework, has here exploded into sumptuous colour, extravagant locations and a gimcrack way with camera zooms. But beneath the reconditioned exterior, the old-fashioned gears set up an awful grinding: the crooks are a coarse lot, their robbery is by modern standards very rudimentary, and their hostages make a determined English parlour setting out of their indeterminate foreign locale. James Robertson Justice's Shakespearian authority is as tedious as his usual blustery impersonations; but no one could be expected to perform any miracles with the dilapidated dialogue, and no one does. "^[9]

References

Bibliography

• Chibnall, Steve & Murphy, Robert. British Crime Cinema. Routledge, 2005.

External links

• Hell Is Empty at IMDb
• Hell is Empty at Letterbox DVD
• Hell is Empty at BFI