Turn the Key Softly
| Turn the Key Softly | |
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| Directed by | Jack Lee |
| Produced by | Maurice Cowan |
| Written by |
Jack Lee Maurice Cowan |
| Based on |
Turn the Key Softly by John Brophy |
| Starring |
Yvonne Mitchell Joan Collins Kathleen Harrison Terence Morgan |
| Music by | Mischa Spoliansky |
| Cinematography | Geoffrey Unsworth |
| Distributed by | General Film Distributors |
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Release date
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Running time
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81 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Turn the Key Softly is a 1953 British drama film, directed by Jack Lee and starring Yvonne Mitchell, Joan Collins, Kathleen Harrison and Terence Morgan. Lee and producer Maurice Cowan also wrote the screenplay, based on the novel of the same name by John Brophy, dealing with the first 24 hours of freedom for three women released on probation from prison on the same morning.
Three women of widely differing backgrounds walk out of the gates of London's Holloway Prison together at the end of their respective sentences. Monica Marsden (Yvonne Mitchell) is a well-bred young woman, led into the world of crime by her smooth-talking but crooked lover David (Morgan); Monica martyred herself by taking the fall for a crime he masterminded. Stella Jarvis (Collins) is a beautiful working-class girl who found her attractive appearance made West End prostitution a source of easy money, and was imprisoned after disregarding numerous cautions for soliciting. Mrs. Quilliam (Harrison) is a kindly elderly widow, who lived in poverty and was jailed for repeat shoplifting offences. Monica proposes that the three should meet up later for a fancy dinner, for which she will pay, to discuss how their first day of freedom has gone.
Monica goes to stay at her friend's apartment and spends her morning job hunting. Having successfully obtained an office job despite her criminal record, she returns to the apartment and finds David waiting for her there. Although she is initially angry that he let her go to prison alone for the crime he planned and did not stay in contact during her incarceration, his smooth talking convinces her that the two of them can make a fresh start, now that he is gainfully employed as a car salesman. He invites her to accompany him to the theatre later that night.
Stella is engaged to Bob (Glyn Houston), an honest bus conductor who is not put off by her past, and has patiently waited for her to get out of prison so they can marry. She resolves to change her ways and make him a good wife. Upon meeting Bob, he tells her they can marry the following week when he can take time off from his work, and gives her three pounds to rent a room (since his landlady will not let Stella stay with him) and buy herself food until the wedding day, promising to meet up with her that evening when his work shift ends. She heads out to rent the room, but her route takes her through Leicester Square, where she visits her prostitute friends and squanders the three pounds on a pair of earrings.
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Wikipedia