Beyond the Curtain
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| Beyond the Curtain | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Compton Bennett |
| Written by | Compton Bennett Charles F. Blair John Cresswell |
| Produced by | John Martin |
| Starring | Richard Greene Eva Bartok Marius Goring Lucie Mannheim |
| Cinematography | Eric Cross |
| Music by | Kenneth Pakeman |
Release date |
|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Beyond the Curtain is a 1960 British drama film written and directed by Compton Bennett, and starring Richard Greene and Eva Bartok.[1][2][3]
Plot
[edit]A refugee from East Germany finds herself trapped in her home city of Dresden when a plane she is travelling on between Berlin and West Germany is forced down. She is used by the Stasi, who want her to help them to find her dissident brother.
Cast
[edit]- Richard Greene as Captain Jim Kyle
- Eva Bartok as Karin von Seefeldt
- Marius Goring as Hans Körtner
- Lucie Mannheim as Frau von Seefeldt
- Andrée Melly as Linda
- George Mikell as Pieter von Seefeldt
- John Welsh as Turner
- Denis Shaw as Krumm
- Annette Carell as governor
- Gaylord Cavallaro as Twining
- Leonard Sachs as waiter
- Brian Wilde as Bill Seddon
- Steve Plytas as Zimmerman
- Guy Kingsley Poynter as Captain Law
- André Mikhelson as Russian Colonel
Production
[edit]It was the first British feature film from producer John Martin, who had a strong record in documentaries. It was made in association with the companies of Sydney Box. Filming began in September 1959.[4][5]
Reception
[edit]Critical reception
[edit]Kinematograph Weekly wrote "The picture creates little emotional impact Or excitement during the first half, but, although human interest remains flabby, its climax, staged among the rubble and ruins of the Reichschancellery, thrills."[6]
The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "This inept melodrama creates little impact or excitement during the first half, and its later attempts at suspense belong to the early days of the serial. Human interest remains flabby throughout, Eva Bartok's strident and hysterical performance being just about what the woefully unconvincing script deserves, and only Eric Cross's photography, and a dash of surface action, rise above the generally tepid level."[7]
Box office
[edit]In May 1960 Kinematograph Weekly reported the film "a very ordinary adventure melodrama, has been helped over many a stile by reissue Campbell's Kingdom (Rank—British). The latter is, of course, first-class."[8]
References
[edit]- ^ "Beyond the Curtain". British Film Institute. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
- ^ Vagg, Stephen (27 June 2025). "Forgotten British Film Studios: The Rank Organisation, 1959". Filmink. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
- ^ Vagg, Stephen (4 July 2025). "Forgotten British Film Studios: The Rank Organisation, 1960". Filmink. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
- ^ "British production". Kinematograph Weekly. 10 September 1959. p. 19.
- ^ "Your films". Kinematograph Weekly. 1 October 1959. p. 21.
- ^ "Beyond the Curtain". Kinematograph Weekly. 21 April 1960. p. 16.
- ^ "Beyond the Curtain". The Monthly Film Bulletin. 27 (312): 82. 1 January 1960. ProQuest 1305823028.
- ^ "Your films". Kinematograph Weekly. 26 May 1960. p. 34.
External links
[edit]
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