In 1941, in wartime U.K., two Irish brothers working for the I.R.A. come against their local leader's ruthless methods.In 1941, in wartime U.K., two Irish brothers working for the I.R.A. come against their local leader's ruthless methods.In 1941, in wartime U.K., two Irish brothers working for the I.R.A. come against their local leader's ruthless methods.
Photos
Jack MacGowran
- Patsy McGuire
- (as Jack McGowran)
Terence Alexander
- Ship's Officer
- (uncredited)
Harry Brogan
- Barney
- (uncredited)
Edward Byrne
- Ambulance Attendant
- (uncredited)
Patric Doonan
- Sentry
- (uncredited)
Stephen Dunne
- Brennan
- (uncredited)
Harry Hutchinson
- Bill - Detective
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaQuote: Englishman: "The situation in England is serious, but it's never hopeless" Irishman: "The situation in Ireland is hopeless, but it's never serious" .
- GoofsThe car which is used to escape after the shootout with the prison vehicle has different number plates front and back. DZ 7563 on the front and ZC 6034 on the rear.It has the DZ plate when the arrives at the scene. DZ would be a Co Antrim registration, ZC would be Dublin.
It appears that two different cars were used as the Northern car also has an extra spotlight on the front and no padlock on the wiper.
- Crazy creditsOpening credits prologue: NORTHERN IRELAND 1941
- ConnectionsFeatured in Century of Cinema: Ourselves Alone? (1995)
- SoundtracksMoonshiner
(uncredited)
Traditional
Arranged by Delia Murphy
Featured review
Outstanding!
Hard to understand the mediocre reviews for this classic. Don't be put off - The Gentle Gunman is a must-see.
The story is engrossing - reminiscent of better-known Irish-revolution films like Odd Man Out and The Informer, and every bit their equal. The two brothers - one headstrong, the other cool and clever - are perfectly matched in a love-hate duel to the death.
The casting is hard to beat - John Mills and Dirk Bogarde together in one film. Wow. The supporting parts are excellent as well, especially Elizabeth Sellars in an unusually negative role.
Then there's Basil Dearden, one of the best UK directors of the 1950s, doing what is surely his best work ever. The photography is breathtaking, especially the scenes out in the hills of Ireland. These contrast perfectly with the dark and gritty scenes in London.
Unlike so many films dealing with the IRA, The Gentle Gunman manages to embrace both heartbreak and hope, while detouring expertly from the obvious love and revenge subplots.
I don't hand out 10/10 ratings lightly, but in this case it's barely sufficient.
The story is engrossing - reminiscent of better-known Irish-revolution films like Odd Man Out and The Informer, and every bit their equal. The two brothers - one headstrong, the other cool and clever - are perfectly matched in a love-hate duel to the death.
The casting is hard to beat - John Mills and Dirk Bogarde together in one film. Wow. The supporting parts are excellent as well, especially Elizabeth Sellars in an unusually negative role.
Then there's Basil Dearden, one of the best UK directors of the 1950s, doing what is surely his best work ever. The photography is breathtaking, especially the scenes out in the hills of Ireland. These contrast perfectly with the dark and gritty scenes in London.
Unlike so many films dealing with the IRA, The Gentle Gunman manages to embrace both heartbreak and hope, while detouring expertly from the obvious love and revenge subplots.
I don't hand out 10/10 ratings lightly, but in this case it's barely sufficient.
helpful•42
- fung0
- May 16, 2022
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Bombe im U-Bahn-Schacht
- Filming locations
- Ealing Studios, Ealing, London, England, UK(studio: made at Ealing Studios, London, England.)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 26 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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