Yvonne Mitchell

Terence Morgan

Joan Collins

Kathleen Harrison

Thora Hird

Geoffrey Keen

Simone Silva

Dorothy Alison

Glyn Houston

Russell Waters

Clive Morton

Richard Massingham

Edward Evans

Lyn Evans

Hilda Fenemore

Fred Griffiths

Vi Stevens

Toke Townley

Herbert C. Walton

Jack Lee

Maurice Cowan

Crime

Drama

Turn the Key Softly

Maurice Cowan Productions

United Kingdom

CinemaSerf

Three women are released from prison at the same time on the same day and arrange to meet for a drink later that evening. Their paths diverge with one - petty shoplifter Kathleen Harrison anxious to get home to her "Tommy"; Joan Collins to her bus conductor boyfriend "Bob" (Glyn Houston) and finally Yvonne Mitchell ("Monica") who appears to have been set up by her safe-cracking boyfriend "David" (Terence Morgan). The narrative tracks their day - sometimes joyful, sometimes sad - but usually interesting. Sadly, Collins, who has a bit of a penchant for fleecing elderly men, adds very little to the proceedings; it's down to an engaging performance from Harrison and a troubled one from Mitchell to inject some humour, depth and personality to this curious triptych. The last half hour dominates the well written screenplay as a tense rooftop robbery goes awry, and the cops close in... It's got some interesting scenes from post war London, a lovely one where folks cram onto the tube, just as they do 70 years later, and a sense of the glamour and social divisions that were starting to fade as Britain emerged from the War years, and is worth watching for that alone.

English