You Can't Escape

The story’s been done many times before, but Wilfred Eades’ You Can’t Escape deserves credit for rising above the standard British B fare by packing in plenty of story, genuine suspense, and thick noir atmosphere throughout. The film stars Robert Urquhart as young author Peter Darwin, recently engaged to heiress Kay March (Noelle Middleton), who’s paid a visit from a bitter ex-girlfriend whom he ends up killing by accident. Rather than go to the police, Darwin panics and later solicits help from Kay in burying the body, hoping that will be the end of it. In noir, however, one lie often turns into an avalanche of deceit. Within days, not only will a hunter’s dog start snooping around the grave, but a party of archaeologists suddenly show up for an excavation. Of course, as so often happens with couples involved in crime (Double Indemnity, 1944; The Postman Always Rings Twice, 1946), the accomplices eventually turn on each other. Urquhart gives a strong performance as the accidental criminal who seems to gain more confidence the more that he gets away with, and Peter Reynolds is fantastically obnoxious as journalist Rodney Nixon, who shows up hinting that he knows the truth. With plenty of night scenes, cinematographer Warwick uses budget limitations to the film’s advantage, deep shadows and low-key lighting adding to the growing sense of dread. Side note: The film’s opening sequence features probably the most casual response to a near-fatal plane crash ever put on film.