Made in 1961 this hard hitting police thriller stars Stanley Baker, Billie Whitelaw, Warren Mitchell and veteran Hollywood actor Donald Pleasence. An escaped criminal is on the run in Manchester, and he has scores to settle with gang members and with the cop who put him away, inspector Martineau. An investigation and manhunt ensues, culminating in a shootout on the roof of the Refuge Building, now the Palace Hotel.

Hell Is A City is a gripping and at times shocking police thriller and a great British film in its own right. It contains many breathtaking views of Manchester as it looked in the immediate post war years. The feel of American Film Noir is overlaid onto grimy Manchester. Here I present the video cover alongside one of my photographs of the Refuge Building, now Palace Hotel.

About the photos

This image is from the portfolio of Aidan O'Rourke photographer writer website publisher. Most images are copyright Aidan O'Rourke and may be available as prints or high resolution files. Some images are by other artists, and are published with their approval, or are included in reviews of their work.

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Keywords: Manchester, Manchester films, Manchester reviews, British films of the 1960\'s, early 60\'s British films, police thrillers, movies, film reviews, movie reviews