by Linda Kay

Directed by: Basil Dearden

Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains some spoilers for this film!

Synopsis: Ricky Flint (Michael Sarne) is desperate to escape life in Bethnal Green and plans to help a local crook rob the cigarette factory where he works. Will the love of adorably mousey Catherine (Rita Tushingham) turn him around in time?

Cat Burglar (Scene Stealer): In one scene Ricky buys a canary for Catherine. They symbolically decide to release the bird and are surprised when it doesn’t seem to want to fly far away. Eventually the bird flits up to an awning where a tabby cat is sitting (strangely very still) in the background.

Catherine and Ricky watch worriedly as the cat stalks the canary.

She is certain the bird is doomed but Ricky assures her otherwise. Indeed the canary flies out of danger’s way as the cat pounces.

Ricky and “Cat” also spend time snogging in a bombed out building which is full of cats (according to Ricky, the presence of cats means no one is around.) We never actually see the cats, although we hear one screech as Catherine runs away after one of the couple’s typical arguments.

Final Mewsings: For cats freedom can often mean hunger.

Many thanks to Mark Murton for letting us know about the cat in this film.

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