Richard Todd stars as John North, a frustrated writer whose dalliance with his publisher's wife (Christine Norden) leads to tragedy. In a plot development that blends elements of Hitchcockian intrigue with the romantic stylings of Brief Encounter, the lovers meet in a British Rail caff for rock cakes and coffee (served with perfect disdain by Dora Bryan, who hails from my original home town of Southport) before departing for a weekend of illicit lovemaking. North gets cold feet, pulls the emergency cord, disembarks from the train, and high tails it for home--only to find that his false alarm has caused a train wreck that leaves dozens dead. Rail Inspector Waterson (Ralph Truman) is soon on the case, and his eye for detail and nose for suspicious behavior attracts him to the North household. Though Sinister Cinema's tape has a rather soft image, it still nicely showcases Erwin Hillier's atmospheric and angular cinematography. Overall, The Interrupted Journey is a very entertaining and surprisingly well made Eady money entry that also benefits from a fine performance by Valerie Hobson as Todd's suspicious wife.
21 Reviews
Likable, Fun Film with Lots of Good Plot Twists
jayraskin112 October 2014
This is a good film for anybody who likes Hitchcock, Film Noir, Detective or Romance movies. It manages to hit all these bases nicely. There is excellent cinematography, a reasonably involving script and some very surprising, yet natural, twists in the plot. While the tension does not match Hitchcock at his best, it does stand up well against a lot of lesser Hitchcock efforts. For example, it is better than "the Wrong Man," "the Paradine Case," or "Under Capricorn." and as good as "Secret Agent." The actors were all fine, with Christine Norden giving her usual better than they deserve performance. She was perhaps the sexiest women working in British cinema at the time.
Here's the basic plot setup. A married man and married woman leave their spouses and run away on a train together. Racked with quilt, the man decides to return to his home. It appears that the emergency chord on the train gets pulled and a train wreck ensues killing 10 people. The man soon becomes the chief suspect as the person who caused the accident, yet there is much more going on here than first appears.
Some people might find the style of the ending a bit of a disappointment, but I think it was actually pretty fresh in 1949, and not at all the cliché it later became when overused in later movies and television shows. It is more logical and more satisfying than most endings of this style.
Here's the basic plot setup. A married man and married woman leave their spouses and run away on a train together. Racked with quilt, the man decides to return to his home. It appears that the emergency chord on the train gets pulled and a train wreck ensues killing 10 people. The man soon becomes the chief suspect as the person who caused the accident, yet there is much more going on here than first appears.
Some people might find the style of the ending a bit of a disappointment, but I think it was actually pretty fresh in 1949, and not at all the cliché it later became when overused in later movies and television shows. It is more logical and more satisfying than most endings of this style.
Never dream of pulling the emergency cord
AAdaSC5 May 2013
Richard Todd (John) and Christine Norden (Susan Wilding) elope on a train to begin a new life together, leaving behind their current spouses Valerie Hobson (Carol) and Alexander Gauge (Jerves Wilding). Whilst on the train, Todd bottles it at the 11th hour, pulls the emergency cord and jumps off the train to go back to his wife Hobson before she suspects anything. However, once home, the train, which he stopped near their house is involved in a crash that claims many lives, including that of Norden. The hunt is on for the person who pulled the emergency cord and Ralph Truman (Inspector Waterson) is suspicious of Todd. There is a good helping of suspense and there are some twists in the story along the way.
The cast are good in this film and there are plenty of good scenes. The film involves you from the beginning right up until the climax and the director throws in some surreal stuff towards the end. Watch out for Roger Moore sitting in the background at a cafe in Paddington Station while Todd and Norden order tea and rock cakes. The rock cake takes on a significance in this tale.
The cast are good in this film and there are plenty of good scenes. The film involves you from the beginning right up until the climax and the director throws in some surreal stuff towards the end. Watch out for Roger Moore sitting in the background at a cafe in Paddington Station while Todd and Norden order tea and rock cakes. The rock cake takes on a significance in this tale.
20 Killed, 31 Injured!
hitchcockthelegend24 April 2015
The Interrupted Journey is directed by Daniel Birt and written by Michael Pertwee. It stars Richard Todd, Valerie Hobson, Tom Walls and Ralph Truman. Music is by Stanley Black and cinematography by Erwin Hillier.
To Stop Train In Case Of Emergency Pull Down The Chain. Penalty For Improper Use £5.
That's a woman in a million.
Very tidy Brit noir this one. The story is a bit hokey as it enters Twilight Zone territories, but the twists, turns and mystery quotient keep it lively to hold the attention. The low budget is never a problem for Birt, who aided by the excellent Hillier, brings a feverish realm to the story by way of canted angles, shadow play and hazes, while certain images (shapes of doorways etc) are cunningly teasing the audience about what is going on. Cast are very strong to round this out as more than worth the time of the Brit noir film fan. 7/10
To Stop Train In Case Of Emergency Pull Down The Chain. Penalty For Improper Use £5.
That's a woman in a million.
Very tidy Brit noir this one. The story is a bit hokey as it enters Twilight Zone territories, but the twists, turns and mystery quotient keep it lively to hold the attention. The low budget is never a problem for Birt, who aided by the excellent Hillier, brings a feverish realm to the story by way of canted angles, shadow play and hazes, while certain images (shapes of doorways etc) are cunningly teasing the audience about what is going on. Cast are very strong to round this out as more than worth the time of the Brit noir film fan. 7/10
Who is the man in the mackintosh???
kidboots19 October 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Nowadays Valerie Hobson is remembered, if at all, for being married to John Profumo, the Minister for War, whose affair with Christine Keeler in 1963 bought down Britain's Conservative government. But she was an elegant actress who had quite a long career. She was the adult Estella in David Lean's prestigious "Great Expectations" (1946) and had the title role in "Blanche Fury" - a costume drama in the tradition of "The Wicked Lady". Even though this film was made toward the end of her career, she still looked youthful enough to be unconvincing as a wife of ten years!!!
The film starts with John (Richard Todd) and Susan (Christine Norden) hurrying to Paddington station, planning to start a new life away from their respective spouses - but they are being followed a sinister man in a mackintosh. Why anyone would want to run away with boring Richard Todd is the biggest mystery - but anyway!!! Todd is a writer, who has never had any support from his wife Carol (Valerie Hobson) ... with good reason. They have been married 10 years - he has never had any success with his writing and now, fed up, she wants him to join her father's firm - get a real job in other words!!
Meanwhile the mackintosh man is really freaking John out, so much so, that seeing him on the train, he pulls the emergency cord and escapes off the train leaving Susan asleep!! It may have been her comment about writing being all very well but he has to get a proper job!!! He goes home to be reunited with his wife and in time to see the train crash! Within a few days the whole country is looking for the person who pulled the communication cord. John and Carol get a visit from the British Railway Investigation Board. It turns out that "mackintosh man" was a private investigator and his notebook has incriminating evidence that John was indeed on the train with Susan. In private he confesses all to his wife when it is suddenly discovered that the accident was caused by a faulty spark and not the communication cord.
It seems everything is rosy...but then the police realise Susan had been shot before the accident and John's communication cord confession makes him a prime suspect for murder!! Is he innocent - Carol seems to doubt it - she has heard him talk in his sleep!! She finds a gun in their lily pond and warns John - she doesn't know about the man John surprised in the dark outside their home. Then begins a chase as John is determined to find out just who the man in the mackintosh is and the true killer!!
Richard Todd is really excellent at playing ordinary men consumed by guilt and throwing suspicion on themselves by their behaviour. Dora Bryan is very memorable as a slatternly waitress whose "rock cakes" play a part in the plot. Tom Walls is also excellent as the fatherly railway official.
Recommended.
The film starts with John (Richard Todd) and Susan (Christine Norden) hurrying to Paddington station, planning to start a new life away from their respective spouses - but they are being followed a sinister man in a mackintosh. Why anyone would want to run away with boring Richard Todd is the biggest mystery - but anyway!!! Todd is a writer, who has never had any support from his wife Carol (Valerie Hobson) ... with good reason. They have been married 10 years - he has never had any success with his writing and now, fed up, she wants him to join her father's firm - get a real job in other words!!
Meanwhile the mackintosh man is really freaking John out, so much so, that seeing him on the train, he pulls the emergency cord and escapes off the train leaving Susan asleep!! It may have been her comment about writing being all very well but he has to get a proper job!!! He goes home to be reunited with his wife and in time to see the train crash! Within a few days the whole country is looking for the person who pulled the communication cord. John and Carol get a visit from the British Railway Investigation Board. It turns out that "mackintosh man" was a private investigator and his notebook has incriminating evidence that John was indeed on the train with Susan. In private he confesses all to his wife when it is suddenly discovered that the accident was caused by a faulty spark and not the communication cord.
It seems everything is rosy...but then the police realise Susan had been shot before the accident and John's communication cord confession makes him a prime suspect for murder!! Is he innocent - Carol seems to doubt it - she has heard him talk in his sleep!! She finds a gun in their lily pond and warns John - she doesn't know about the man John surprised in the dark outside their home. Then begins a chase as John is determined to find out just who the man in the mackintosh is and the true killer!!
Richard Todd is really excellent at playing ordinary men consumed by guilt and throwing suspicion on themselves by their behaviour. Dora Bryan is very memorable as a slatternly waitress whose "rock cakes" play a part in the plot. Tom Walls is also excellent as the fatherly railway official.
Recommended.
A young pasty-faced Richard Todd giving it his all
tara-ken24 June 2002
Just take a few deep breaths when the film-makers over-stress the plot points, and you'll find this a fun movie with a tasty wee twist on it's tail. The acting is over the top at times, with Mr. Todd doing some ridiculous grimacing, but it was made in '49' when I think these particular film-makers must have thought that their audience was pretty stupid, so they threw subtlety out the window. A good performance by the great Tom Walls. Before watching ask yourself if you are in the mood for this type of film, if so you'll have a good time-I did.
Never Leave Your Wife, If She's Valerie Hobson.
rmax3048239 August 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Valerie Hobson is the loving middle-class wife in this brooding drama. She's distinguished by her rather long face and delicate nose, which fits her for roles as the "proper woman." She was a delight as the aristocratic wife of Alec Guiness' amateur photographer in "Kind Hearts and Coronets." Richard Todd, the protagonist, ridden by guilt over leaving his wife, being accidentally responsible for the deaths of dozens of people, and sought by the coppers for a murder he did not commit, is usually stiff and well-braced, which enables him to play military men and the like.
The first forty-five minutes of the film are a rather routine melodrama about Todd deciding not to leave Hobson at the last minute, with dire consequences to follow. Todd is haunted by a kindly police detective, Tom Walls, who suspects the truth that Todd is hiding. It's pretty dull.
Todd finally tells his wife that he'd been running off with a horny blond and pulled what we call the emergency cord at the last minute, leading to a wrecked train and a murdered body. The two of them, husband and wife, finally clinch and decide to face the future together, so they confess to Inspector Walls.
No dice. It's just been discovered that the horny blond was shot dead, murdered, and who else could be responsible except her erstwhile lover -- Todd? The pace picks up considerably. And if the direction and lighting had been pedestrian before, it now turns positively eerie. Every other scene uses kick lights. These are lamps that light faces from below, so that they look ominous, ghoulish even.
Todd divines that if HE didn't do it, it must have been the horny blond's husband. He manages to track the culprit down to a shabby hotel in Plymouth -- the one in England, not Massachusetts. By the way, that's not the original Plymouth Rock.
The culprit corners Todd in a hotel room, pulls a revolver on him, and the two of them sit down while the killer goes through the usual routine of explaining why and how he done it. Mind the hole in the plot. (The murderer claims he switched wallets with a dead man in order to be identified as among those killed in the crash; but the villain's mother has told Todd that she identified her son's body in the morgue.) The murderer is drunk and half asleep. There is a tussle over the gun. And if the film was livelier after that 45 minutes, it goes absolutely APE now, with surreal point-of-view shots of faces, hands, telephones, pistols, and horrifying close ups of the killer's face, bellowing with laughter, until he retrieves the pistol and shoots Todd right between the eyes point blank.
It's a nightmarish scene. Literally.
Not a disgrace but not very interesting either. The Brits in 1949 were putting out some magnificent movies, mostly but not entirely comic. This is far from being among them. However, it's worth watching, if only to see the upright Richard Todd squirming with guilt again. Hitchcock made him do the same thing in "Stage Fright." Moreover, there is always Valerie Hobson, of whom the kindly detective remarks, "If you don't mind my saying so, that's one girl in a million."
The first forty-five minutes of the film are a rather routine melodrama about Todd deciding not to leave Hobson at the last minute, with dire consequences to follow. Todd is haunted by a kindly police detective, Tom Walls, who suspects the truth that Todd is hiding. It's pretty dull.
Todd finally tells his wife that he'd been running off with a horny blond and pulled what we call the emergency cord at the last minute, leading to a wrecked train and a murdered body. The two of them, husband and wife, finally clinch and decide to face the future together, so they confess to Inspector Walls.
No dice. It's just been discovered that the horny blond was shot dead, murdered, and who else could be responsible except her erstwhile lover -- Todd? The pace picks up considerably. And if the direction and lighting had been pedestrian before, it now turns positively eerie. Every other scene uses kick lights. These are lamps that light faces from below, so that they look ominous, ghoulish even.
Todd divines that if HE didn't do it, it must have been the horny blond's husband. He manages to track the culprit down to a shabby hotel in Plymouth -- the one in England, not Massachusetts. By the way, that's not the original Plymouth Rock.
The culprit corners Todd in a hotel room, pulls a revolver on him, and the two of them sit down while the killer goes through the usual routine of explaining why and how he done it. Mind the hole in the plot. (The murderer claims he switched wallets with a dead man in order to be identified as among those killed in the crash; but the villain's mother has told Todd that she identified her son's body in the morgue.) The murderer is drunk and half asleep. There is a tussle over the gun. And if the film was livelier after that 45 minutes, it goes absolutely APE now, with surreal point-of-view shots of faces, hands, telephones, pistols, and horrifying close ups of the killer's face, bellowing with laughter, until he retrieves the pistol and shoots Todd right between the eyes point blank.
It's a nightmarish scene. Literally.
Not a disgrace but not very interesting either. The Brits in 1949 were putting out some magnificent movies, mostly but not entirely comic. This is far from being among them. However, it's worth watching, if only to see the upright Richard Todd squirming with guilt again. Hitchcock made him do the same thing in "Stage Fright." Moreover, there is always Valerie Hobson, of whom the kindly detective remarks, "If you don't mind my saying so, that's one girl in a million."
Plotty thriller which cheats its main premise, but revels in 'Dutch angle' photography and bad hairstyles.
BOUF19 January 2009
Richard Todd (wearing a vat of Brylcreem on his hair) agonises over whether he should run away with his peroxided mistress (Christine Nordern) or return to to his stolid missus (Valerie Hobson). He jumps out of a train, and thinks he's caused multiple deaths. Lots of angst ensues, especially when it looks like the loyal missus won't believe in his innocence. As a melodrama it's not too bad, despite the cheat in the plot, and Todd's hammy performance. For once, horsey Ms Hobson's frigidity is welcome. As the loyal old stick, she refrains from chewing the scenery. Her hair, however looks as ugly as her clothes. Ms Nordern also acquits herself well. She's hefty, predatory and suitably tarty (she also sports an appalling hairdo)..but she seems genuine...there's a scene in which she kisses Todd with what looks like genuine sexual hunger - something you don't often see in twee British thrillers like this. The best thing in the film is probably the arty camera-work.. there are some really interesting angles. There's a sequence in an old hotel where the camera and direction becomes almost Bergmanesque. Todd and Vida Hope (the hotelier) all moodily lit, suddenly launch into some very slow dialogue as though there's some deep meaning to their standard mystery story exchange. Early on Dora Bryan (always a joy) appears briefly as a waitress, who serves Todd and Nordern with some rock cakes - which are integral to the plot. Non-British viewers may be baffled by these delicacies; but I urge them to inquire no further.
Excellent Until An Awful Ending
boblipton2 December 2019
Richard Todd has quarreled with wife Valerie Hobson and is running away with Christine Norden. He changes his mind, pulls the cord to stop the train and runs home. He tells some lies about where he's been, and there's a full reconciliation...until the train he was on gets into a terrible accident, killing most of the passengers, blamed on someone pulling the cord. Tom Walls -- in his last screen role -- shows up. He's been following Miss Norden on behalf of her husband. After a while, it's cleared up, and things are about to go back to normal...until it turns out that Miss Norden was killed with a missing guns before the crash. Todd is the prime suspect.
I can understand why a viewer might think the movie shifted gears too frequently, and agree that the ending is lame. Up to that insipid finale, I was having a great time, thanks to the increasing arc of insanity, and a fine, final performance by Walls. That ending, however, brought me up short.
I can understand why a viewer might think the movie shifted gears too frequently, and agree that the ending is lame. Up to that insipid finale, I was having a great time, thanks to the increasing arc of insanity, and a fine, final performance by Walls. That ending, however, brought me up short.
An interrupted train journey leads to no end to a troublesome train of events...
clanciai25 May 2017
This is an amazing nightmare thriller taking you on a journey of constantly new surprising turns, and the fact that the journey is interrupted only leads a train of journeys leading you ever more astray and ending up in a nightmare abyss.
Valerie Hobson graces the film with her charming and amiable personality, whoever would have left a wife like that? - which the hero (Richard Todd) immediately realizes but to his dismay finds it is already too late.
The intrigue is fantastic. It's kind of Kafkaesque in its labyrinth of constantly worse complications, and not until the mother closes the door on Richard with her testimony of having identified her dead son herself you begin to suspect that everything is not quite all right - something begins to warn you about all logic and reality disappearing.
It's marvellously filmed with its turning more and more almost hallucinogenic, as the drunkard at the hotel really starts derailing for serious.
It's a wondrous concoction of a train of events leading you off the rails so often and so frequently that you begin seriously to doubt the honesty of the film, but you can stay calm - it all makes perfect sense in the end, as the detail of the clock finally concludes this strange odyssey of a psychological nightmare.
Valerie Hobson graces the film with her charming and amiable personality, whoever would have left a wife like that? - which the hero (Richard Todd) immediately realizes but to his dismay finds it is already too late.
The intrigue is fantastic. It's kind of Kafkaesque in its labyrinth of constantly worse complications, and not until the mother closes the door on Richard with her testimony of having identified her dead son herself you begin to suspect that everything is not quite all right - something begins to warn you about all logic and reality disappearing.
It's marvellously filmed with its turning more and more almost hallucinogenic, as the drunkard at the hotel really starts derailing for serious.
It's a wondrous concoction of a train of events leading you off the rails so often and so frequently that you begin seriously to doubt the honesty of the film, but you can stay calm - it all makes perfect sense in the end, as the detail of the clock finally concludes this strange odyssey of a psychological nightmare.
Stand by your man
djpass919 April 2020
It struck me that this was a case of life imitating art. Just as Valerie Hobson tries to support her husband in the movie, she would later support her real husband John Profumo when he was involved in a scandal.
The story goes up and down emotionally; I thought we'd reached a happy ending but there was a lot more story left. It's noir, lots of shadows, and a good story, though like most reviewers I was disappointed in the end.
I enjoyed Tom Walls, whom I had only seen in comedies before.
Twisty, Taut, and Terrific
CatherineYronwode2 May 2022
This under-rated British psychological crime thriller features an amazing plot-line, filled with twists upon twists upon twists, and the great thing is that every turn of the screw is totally believable, even though it contradicts the plot points established earlier in the story,
I do not want to write a spoiler review, so there is no way i can describe "The Interrupted Journey" other than to say that suspicion was cast upon almost every character at one point or another, and i could see the logic to each shifting nuance of blame, and by the time we got to the scene with the weirdly up-angled hotel keeper, i was ready to step off the 39th step, so to speak.
Since i rarely bother to check out movies that rank under a 7 at IMDb, i almost missed this one -- ranked at 6.8 on the day i watched it. (I hope it ranks higher as more people check it out.)
I selected it for the title and because i like documentary footage of trains. What a surprise it was! I loved the plot, the German-expressionist camera angles, the low-key lighting, the great use of unusually asymmetrical bits of architecture, and the way the actors shifted from innocent to guilty and back to innocent and back to guilty again at the turn of their heads.
Every lover of film-noir, British Railways, primulas, adultery, murder, and character actors will want to see this one, take my word for it.
I do not want to write a spoiler review, so there is no way i can describe "The Interrupted Journey" other than to say that suspicion was cast upon almost every character at one point or another, and i could see the logic to each shifting nuance of blame, and by the time we got to the scene with the weirdly up-angled hotel keeper, i was ready to step off the 39th step, so to speak.
Since i rarely bother to check out movies that rank under a 7 at IMDb, i almost missed this one -- ranked at 6.8 on the day i watched it. (I hope it ranks higher as more people check it out.)
I selected it for the title and because i like documentary footage of trains. What a surprise it was! I loved the plot, the German-expressionist camera angles, the low-key lighting, the great use of unusually asymmetrical bits of architecture, and the way the actors shifted from innocent to guilty and back to innocent and back to guilty again at the turn of their heads.
Every lover of film-noir, British Railways, primulas, adultery, murder, and character actors will want to see this one, take my word for it.
North by norwest.
ulicknormanowen10 October 2020
Warning: Spoilers
The construction of the movie will remind the viewer of Fritz Lang's "the woman in the window" (1944) ; not as good as the German master's psychoanalysis thriller , it possesses nonetheless considerable appeal for fans of suspense movies.
Full of sudden new developments ,-halfway through ,when the couple sees their reflection in the lily pond, everything seems to be all right again-well acted by Richard Todd and Valerie Hobson ,but Alexander Gauge , although his time screen is reduced to some minutes, steals the show in a Peter Lorre 's brilliant imitation.
There's a good sense of mystery : the smoke in the train bound to nowhere, the meeting with the ghostly mother who identified the corpse.Other clues are given to the viewer : the woman who runs the seedy hotel has a strange delivery, the murderer impersonating the hero .
There's a good sense of mystery : the smoke in the train bound to nowhere, the meeting with the ghostly mother who identified the corpse.Other clues are given to the viewer : the woman who runs the seedy hotel has a strange delivery, the murderer impersonating the hero .
a movie that puts the noose around its own neck
myriamlenys18 October 2018
Warning: Spoilers
A mediocre writer has fallen in love with the wife of his editor. The lovers decide to elope. While still on the train, the man remembers the blameless devotion of his wife. Getting second thoughts and knowing that he is close to his own house, he pulls the emergency cord...
There are many things to like about this thriller : good black-and-white cinematography, good direction, good acting, oodles of atmosphere and a very British sense of "noir". The movie also contains some interesting minor characters. For instance, near the end of the movie the protagonist goes to a hotel, where he talks to the female owner. It's a short scene - the conversation only lasts for some minutes - and yet one gets the impression that there is something subtly wrong with the owner, suggesting some kind of.. well, of what ? Spinsterish repression ? Victorian-era prudishness ? Morbid fear of scandal ? Morbid desire for scandal ? So yes, this is an intriguing personality.
Sadly the movie shoots itself in the foot by a final twist plus ending which invalidates almost everything that went before, meaning that the viewers spent more than an hour of their lives watching something which proves to be irrelevant. It's also a very lazy kind of writing - pretty much the equivalent of a stack of "Get out of jail free" cards.
Three stars may be harsh, but I really do dislike movies which shy away from their own premise, cheat the audience and/or can't be bothered to put in a full day's work.
There are many things to like about this thriller : good black-and-white cinematography, good direction, good acting, oodles of atmosphere and a very British sense of "noir". The movie also contains some interesting minor characters. For instance, near the end of the movie the protagonist goes to a hotel, where he talks to the female owner. It's a short scene - the conversation only lasts for some minutes - and yet one gets the impression that there is something subtly wrong with the owner, suggesting some kind of.. well, of what ? Spinsterish repression ? Victorian-era prudishness ? Morbid fear of scandal ? Morbid desire for scandal ? So yes, this is an intriguing personality.
Sadly the movie shoots itself in the foot by a final twist plus ending which invalidates almost everything that went before, meaning that the viewers spent more than an hour of their lives watching something which proves to be irrelevant. It's also a very lazy kind of writing - pretty much the equivalent of a stack of "Get out of jail free" cards.
Three stars may be harsh, but I really do dislike movies which shy away from their own premise, cheat the audience and/or can't be bothered to put in a full day's work.
Wronged man thriller in the Hitchcock mould
Leofwine_draca22 May 2017
Warning: Spoilers
THE INTERRUPTED JOURNEY is an involving little British thriller of 1949, made in the Hitchcockian mould. Richard Todd gives a solid performance as the 'wronged man' hero of the piece, whose pulling of a train cord leads to a large-scale train disaster with massive loss of life. Pretty soon he's on the run, being hunted by the police for murder, and the narrative goes on from there.
The first thing apparent with this film is the low budget nature of the production which means that much of the action takes place in a single house and grounds. Still, the script is involving enough to keep the story moving, and Todd is very good as always. Valerie Hobson is also exceptionally fine (and beautiful) as his wife, who no sane man would ever consider running out on. Things build to a suitably dramatic climax, but there's a twist in store that threatens to derail things (no pun intended) although it didn't bother me too much here. Watch out for a delightfully crazy Alexander Gauge in support, and cameos from Dora Bryan and Roger Moore (as a soldier in the background of the cafe scene).
The first thing apparent with this film is the low budget nature of the production which means that much of the action takes place in a single house and grounds. Still, the script is involving enough to keep the story moving, and Todd is very good as always. Valerie Hobson is also exceptionally fine (and beautiful) as his wife, who no sane man would ever consider running out on. Things build to a suitably dramatic climax, but there's a twist in store that threatens to derail things (no pun intended) although it didn't bother me too much here. Watch out for a delightfully crazy Alexander Gauge in support, and cameos from Dora Bryan and Roger Moore (as a soldier in the background of the cafe scene).
A very smart, well paced film.
Sleepin_Dragon27 November 2019
Notable for being penned by Jon Pertwee's brother, The Interrupted Journey is a particularly enjoyable film, it seems to go through different stages, melodrama to cat and mouse thriller, to murder mystery. It is very well crafted and particularly well paced.
I had difficulty trying to understand how the pulled cord could cause the accident, fortunately this is all explained.
Hobson and Todd are both excellent, although Carol's devoted wife act seems a total stretch by today's standards.
For 1949 it holds up incredibly well, a very god story, well acted, and features a really terrific twist.
It's truly worth a look. 7/10
I had difficulty trying to understand how the pulled cord could cause the accident, fortunately this is all explained.
Hobson and Todd are both excellent, although Carol's devoted wife act seems a total stretch by today's standards.
For 1949 it holds up incredibly well, a very god story, well acted, and features a really terrific twist.
It's truly worth a look. 7/10
Chain Reaction
malcolmgsw7 September 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Whilst this is a reasonably entertaining entry in the British Noir,nevertheless the writers have used many influences whilst writing the script.The first and most obvious influence is "Dead Of Night",albeit that the chain is broken by the ending.The second and more obvious is "Woman in The Window" which starred Edward G Robinson.In that film he took an overdose at the end as he was bound to be caught as the killer.It all turns out to be a dream.The climax is similar here in that Todd is about to be shot by Gauge,sees the smoke from the gun and then segues back to the train.It had all been a bad dream!A good cast and lots of expressionism add up to a film which arrives at its destination on time.
The Interrupted Journey review
JoeytheBrit28 June 2020
Wishy-washy Richard Todd pulls the communication cord on the train in which he was speeding away from his wife after having second thoughts about the woman he's running off with. Unfortunately, the unscheduled halting of the train causes a collision which claims a number of lives. Plenty of twists and turns in this enjoyable thriller, but Todd's character isn't particularly likeable and the final twist lets the whole thing down. Tom Walls is great as the dogged detective on sweaty Todd's trail.
Nightmare never stops
happytrigger-64-3905174 September 2021
This movie is a pretty good surprise : the story with multiple twists and constant psychological details is really gripping, cinematography is impressive in the important sequences, and casting serves intelligently the story especially Valerie Hobson (so distinguished) and Richard Todd who form a handsome couple. Better than Hitchcock?
SLIPPERY...SUPER STYLISH BRITISH-NOIR...TENSE WITH SHADOW-LADEN TWISTS
LeonLouisRicci19 August 2021
Engrossing and Engaging Film-Noir from Britain with an Excellent Cast.
Awash in Dutch-Angles, Shadows and Nightmarish Atmosphere.
Richard Todd and Valerie Hobson are a Troubled Married Couple that become Entangled in a Romantic Story of Love, Betrayal, and Crime.
The Movie's Twists have Twists and its all Done with Style to Burn and a Rapid Pace of Police Closing in as a Taut and Tense Tale Unfolds with Surprises and Suspense.
The Ending had a Fresh-Face in 1949.
Today it may seem Shop-Worn and Cliched but Not-So in Noir's Hey-Day.
It's an Edge-of-Your-Seater.
That Keeps Unveiling Interesting Aspects, and it's all Done with its Production's Panache Elevating it to an Above Average Status for the British-Noirs of its Era.
The Film Utilizes the Trending Tropes of the Film-Noir that were Developing Relatively Spontaneous that Ultimately Ended in a Full-Blown Genre of its Own.
Enthusiasts will Find Much to Watch in this Thriller-Romance that is a Joy to Behold.
Awash in Dutch-Angles, Shadows and Nightmarish Atmosphere.
Richard Todd and Valerie Hobson are a Troubled Married Couple that become Entangled in a Romantic Story of Love, Betrayal, and Crime.
The Movie's Twists have Twists and its all Done with Style to Burn and a Rapid Pace of Police Closing in as a Taut and Tense Tale Unfolds with Surprises and Suspense.
The Ending had a Fresh-Face in 1949.
Today it may seem Shop-Worn and Cliched but Not-So in Noir's Hey-Day.
It's an Edge-of-Your-Seater.
That Keeps Unveiling Interesting Aspects, and it's all Done with its Production's Panache Elevating it to an Above Average Status for the British-Noirs of its Era.
The Film Utilizes the Trending Tropes of the Film-Noir that were Developing Relatively Spontaneous that Ultimately Ended in a Full-Blown Genre of its Own.
Enthusiasts will Find Much to Watch in this Thriller-Romance that is a Joy to Behold.
You've Been Talking In Your Sleep
cutterccbaxter9 February 2024
Warning: Spoilers
My high school creative writing teacher said he wouldn't allow us to write stories that ended with: "It was all just a dream."
I'm pretty sure that is the go-to ending for all aspiring teenage writers. Who knows how many dream endings he had to suffer through before making it strictly verboten?
Thanks to my teacher, I don't like it-was-all-just-a-dream endings, except for The Wizard of Oz, and that movie gets away with it because it had flying monkeys.
Before The Interrupted Journey ended, it was a nicely plotted movie with interesting characters and theme about marriage and trust. Despite the cop out ending, I still enjoyed film.
Thanks to my teacher, I don't like it-was-all-just-a-dream endings, except for The Wizard of Oz, and that movie gets away with it because it had flying monkeys.
Before The Interrupted Journey ended, it was a nicely plotted movie with interesting characters and theme about marriage and trust. Despite the cop out ending, I still enjoyed film.
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