by Mark Murton

Also Known As: Blonde Sinner

Directed by: J. Lee Thompson

Synopsis: Mary Hilton (a career-best performance from Diana Dors) has been convicted of murder and sentenced to hang. She spends her last weeks in the condemned cell in a British women’s prison, remembering the events which lead up to the killing.

Purr Blur: Warder Hilda MacFarlane (Yvonne Mitchell) finds a calendar featuring a Siamese cat that Mary has been keeping in her bed marking off the days to her execution. Although only the lower portion of the cat is seen on the calendar in the actual film, one of the production stills included on the UK DVD release shows the calendar in full.

Cat Burglar (Scene Stealer): Exercising in the prison yard with two of the warders, Hill (Olga Lindo) and Barker (Joan Miller), Mary sees a healthy-looking tuxedo cat on the steps outside the entrance and picks it up for a cuddle.

Mary is told the cat belongs to “Matron at the hospital” and as Mary is taken back inside Barker takes the cat from her and heads off to return the kitty to the hospital.

Purr Blur: In her cell, Mary thinks back over the events that lead her to where she is, including a flashback to her lying on her bed writing a letter with a contented tortoiseshell cat beside her.

It’s easy to miss the cat snuggled up against Mary’s dark trousers, but again the DVD Stills Gallery brings clarity.

Later, Mary receives a visit from Miss Bligh (Athene Seyler) with news of her mother, and as they walk and talk Mary again cuddles the hospital cat.

Finally, as Mary takes her last walk outside, accompanied by MacFarlane, she again has the cat in her arms.

Taking one last look up at the sky, Mary goes back inside as the cat moves away along the path.

Final Mewsings: The presence of a cat can help us through the most difficult moments.

Many thanks also to Wahrhaftig for also spotting the cat in this film.

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