NEVER LET GO

UK, 1960, 91 minutes, Black and white.
Richard Todd, Peter Sellers, Elizabeth Sellars, Adam Faith, Carol White, Mervyn Johns, Noel Willman.
Directed by John Guillermin.

Never Let Go is a grim story about gangsters in early '60s London. The film was considered too grim in its time. Perhaps, it anticipated the styles of gangster films which were to emerge during the '60s.

Peter Sellers has an unusual role as the boss of a car-stealing firm. He is unrelentingly vicious and evil. Richard Todd is the unsuccessful salesman whose car is stolen and who confronts Sellers and his gang. Adam Faith has a good role as one of the car-stealers. Carol White is Sellers' girlfriend. There is a gallery of minor characters portrayed by the character actors of the British industry of the time.

The story and direction are by John Guillermin, director of small-budget films in England during the '50s, who was to emerge as a major director during the '60s: Waltz of the Toreadors, The Blue Max. During the '70s and '80s he worked in Hollywood, directing a number of big-budget films including The Towering Inferno and King Kong.

While aspects of the film are unpleasant, the film shows the exasperation and obsession of the ordinary man being victimised by gangsters.

I. A slice Of life? A slice of life in England? Universal application? Interesting? Enjoyable?

2. Black and white photography, the atmosphere of London? Ordinary homies? Workplace? Garages? Gangsters? Police? The use of light and darkness for suggestions of good and evil? The atmospheric score?

3. The title and John Cummings' obsession? His right to his obsession? His becoming victimised by it? The effect on his wife?

4. John Cummings as the ordinary citizen? His work as a cosmetics salesman? Seeing him at work - ineffectively? His visits to his clients, his being late, his not handling the situation well? His being taken to task by his superiors? Promises to do better? His stock in trade - jokes, horn-rimmed glasses? His financial situation? The car and no insurance? H-is relationship with his wife - love, tensions? The taking of the car? His being dependent on it? His trying to cover? The police and their not helping? His being reprimanded for interfering in their work? The contact with Alfie Barnes? The lead to Tommy Towers? To Meadows? Cummings' relentless pursuit, investigations? The visits to the garage? The confrontation with Towers? The police wanting him to move out? The confrontation with Meadows? Meadows and h-is arrogance, viciousness? Cummings tracking more evidence, the encounter with Jackie? The pressures from his wife? Her inability to understand him? The build-up to the final confrontation with Meadows? The violent fight? Cummings beaten but vindicated?

5. Peter Sellers as Meadows? The thug? His following? His hold over Towers and the others? The nature of the racket? The transforming of the cars? Meadows and his vanity? Relationship with Jackie? Oppressing her? Her reaction against him? Barnes and his evidence, his death? The confrontation with the police? Cummings' relentlessness? Tracking him down? The fight in the garage? The portrait of a gangster?

6. Towers and the young people stealing the cars, hooligans, hanging about, pubs and drinking? Towers and his relationship with Jackie? The confrontation with Meadows? His giving information? Turning against Meadows? Jackie and her background, Meadows taking her up, luxury, her falling in love with Towers, tricking Meadows? Leaving him?

7. Anne Cummings and her love for her husband, her inability to deal with his failure at work, the loss of the car, his obsession in tracking the car and Meadows?

8. Alfie Barnes and the newsstand, the giving of information, violence and his death?

9. The picture of the police, their doing their work efficiently, resenting Cummings' interference, trying to get him out of their way? The inadequacy of the police work, going by the book?

10. The world of big business, the cosmetics firm, salesmen, Cummings and his being demoted, his friends being promoted over him? The clients in the shops and the interviews? Pennington and his asking Cummings not to go through his routines? The world of business, phoniness in salesmanship?

11. The film as a slice of life? The plausibility of the plot? The highly dramatised nature of the treatment?