yield to the night
High Contrast Cinema are pleased to bring this powerful British prison drama to the Allendale in November. It features an extraordinary turn by Diana Dors as a woman on Death Row awaiting her date with the noose.
Often marketed as Britain's 'blonde bombshell' answer to Marilyn Monroe, the film and its subject matter provided Dors with an opportunity to deliver what many see as her finest ​performance.
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Yield To The Night was released in 1956, and many noted a superficial resemblance to the Ruth Ellis trial (the last woman to be executed in the UK) the previous year, although the book it was based on pre-dated Ellis' controversial case.
It remains a powerful indictment of capital punishment that still resonates today. It was widely acclaimed upon release and was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 1956 Cannes Film Festival
Yvonne Mitchell
Diana Dors
J. Lee Thompson
Yvonne Mitchell
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Yvonne Mitchell, born Yvonne Frances Joseph on 7 July 1915 in London, was a distinguished English actress and writer. She began her career on stage in the late 1930s, training at the London Theatre Studio, and later transitioned to film with her breakout role in The Queen of Spades (1949).
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Her nuanced performances earned critical acclaim, notably in The Divided Heart (1954), which won her a BAFTA, and Woman in a Dressing Gown (1957), for which she received the Silver Bear for Best Actress at the Berlin International Film Festival.
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Mitchell was also a prominent figure on British television, celebrated for her roles in literary adaptations such as Wuthering Heights (1953) and Nineteen Eighty-Four (1954), where she starred alongside Peter Cushing. Her versatility extended beyond acting—she was an accomplished author, writing novels, plays, and a well-regarded biography of French writer Colette.
Her own autobiography, Actress, was published in 1957. Married to critic Derek Monsey, Mitchell spent her later years in the south of France. She died of cancer in London on 24 March 1979, just weeks after her husband's passing.
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Diana Dors
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Diana Dors, born Diana Mary Fluck on 23 October 1931 in Swindon, Wiltshire, was a British actress and singer who rose to fame in the 1950s as England’s answer to Marilyn Monroe.
Trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, she began acting in her teens and quickly became known for her glamorous image and roles in sex comedies and dramas. Her early career was shaped by her first husband, Dennis Hamilton, who promoted her heavily, though later defrauded her.
She starred in notable films such as Yield to the Night and A Kid for Two Farthings, and became a beloved public figure beyond her bombshell persona. Despite personal and professional setbacks, Dors reinvented herself in later years, appearing in television, cabaret, and chat shows, where she showcased her wit and charisma.
Her openness about her struggles, including health issues and financial troubles, endeared her to many.
Dors died of ovarian cancer on 4 May 1984 at the age of 52. Her legacy endures as a symbol of post-war British glamour and resilience, remembered for both her screen presence and her candid, often turbulent life.
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J. Lee Thompson
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J. Lee Thompson, born in Bristol on 1 August 1914, was a versatile British director and screenwriter whose career spanned over five decades. He began in theatre, writing plays before moving into film in the 1940s.
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His early works, such as The Yellow Balloon and Yield to the Night, revealed a talent for blending social realism with emotional depth, earning him recognition in post-war British cinema.
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Thompson’s international breakthrough came with The Guns of Navarone (1961), which earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Director. He followed with the psychological thriller Cape Fear (1962), showcasing his skill in suspense.
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Throughout the 1970s and ’80s, he became known for his collaborations with Charles Bronson, directing action films like 10 to Midnight and Murphy’s Law, many produced by Cannon Films. Though critically mixed, these works solidified his Hollywood presence.
He remained active into his later years, directing nearly 50 films across genres.
Thompson died on 30 August 2002 in British Columbia, Canada, leaving behind a legacy of craftsmanship and adaptability in both British and American cinema.