Hell Is a City is a 1960 British crime thriller film based on the novel by Maurice Procter. Written and directed by Val Guest, it was made by British studio Hammer Film Productions and filmed in Manchester. It was partly inspired by the British New Wave films and resembles American Film Noir.
Hell Is a City is one of the great British cult classics – a 1960 cop thriller, it starred Stanley Baker and Billie Whitelaw, and was directed by Val ‘Quatermass’ Guest. But what adds to its enduring appeal is that it was largely shot on location in Manchester, thus making for an amazing record of the city as it existed a half-century ago.
Cast: Stanley Baker (Inspector Harry Martineau); John Crawford (Don Starling); Donald Pleasence (Gus Hawkins); Maxine Audley (Julia Martinaeu); Geoffrey Frederick (Devery); Vanda Godsell ('Lucky' Luske); Billie Whitelaw (Chloe Hawkins); Charles Morgan (Laurie Lovett)
