Drama

The Quare Fellow

Thomas Crimmins is a new warder, or guard, in an Irish prison. He is young, naive, and idealistic, determined to serve his country by his part in meting out justice to criminals. His superior, Regan, however, realizes that even prisoners are human beings, and Regan is sick of the eye-for-an-eye attitude that leads the state to execute condemned men, or "quare fellows." Crimmins begins to see that not all is black and white in his new world, and when he becomes involved with Kathleen, the wife of one of the condemned men, his attitude begins to change. When new evidence arises to suggest that Kathleen's husband may not deserve his fate, Crimmins is torn between his duty and his humanity.

Release Date : 1962-10-02

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Liger Films

Production Country : United Kingdom

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Thomas Crimmin

Original Name : Patrick McGoohan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Kathleen

Original Name : Sylvia Syms

Gender : Female

Character Name : Regan

Original Name : Walter Macken

Gender : Male

Character Name : Donnelly

Original Name : Dermot Kelly

Gender : Male

Character Name : Chief Warder

Original Name : Jack Cunningham

Gender : Male

Character Name : Holy Healy

Original Name : Hilton Edwards

Gender : Male

Character Name : Prison Governor

Original Name : Philip O'Flynn

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dr Flyn

Original Name : Leo McCabe

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lavery

Original Name : Norman Rodway

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mrs. O'Hara

Original Name : Marie Kean

Gender : Female

Character Name : Mickser's Wife

Original Name : Pauline Delaney

Gender : Female

Character Name : 1st Customs Official

Original Name : Geoffrey Golden

Gender : Male

Character Name : 2nd Customs Official

Original Name : Tom Irwin

Gender : Male

Character Name : Poet

Original Name : Joseph O'Donnell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Meg

Original Name : Agnes Bernelle

Gender : Female

Character Name : Minna

Original Name : Iris Lawler

Gender : Male

Character Name : Prison Chaplain

Original Name : Dominic Roche

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jenkinson

Original Name : Brian Hewitt-Jones

Gender : Male

Character Name : 'Himself' - The Hangman

Original Name : Arthur O'Sullivan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Silvertop

Original Name : Aubrey Morris

Gender : Male

Character Name : Flaherty

Original Name : Eamonn Brennan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mickser

Original Name : Robert Bernal

Gender : Male

Character Name : Kelly

Original Name : Gerry Alexander

Gender : Female

Character Name : Walsh

Original Name : T. P. McKenna

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dunlavin

Original Name : Harry Brogan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Neighbour

Original Name : Eric Gorman

Gender : Male

Character Name : O'Connor

Original Name : James Caffrey

Gender : Male

Character Name : Cleary

Original Name : John Cowley

Gender : Male

Character Name : Carroll

Original Name : John Welsh

Gender : Male

Character Name : Reception Warder

Original Name : Eddie Golden

Gender : Male

Character Name : Reception Clerk

Original Name : David Kelly

Gender : Male

Character Name : Clancy

Original Name : Frank O'Donovan

Gender : Male

Character Name : O'Shaughnessy

Original Name : Desmond O'Neill

Gender : Male

Character Name : Food Orderly

Original Name : Aiden Grennell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Stretcher Bearer

Original Name : Derry Power

Gender : Male

Character Name : Shamrock Attendant

Original Name : Brendan Cauldwell

Gender : Male

Character Name : 1st Publican

Original Name : Pat Layde

Gender : Male

Character Name : Publican Woman

Original Name : Marie Conmee

Gender : Male

Character Name : 2nd Publican

Original Name : Michael C. Hennessy

Gender : Male

Character Name : Old Patriot

Original Name : James Brennan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Irate Citizen

Original Name : Ronnie Walsh

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dock Worker

Original Name : Charlie Roberts

Gender : Male

Character Name : Charwoman

Original Name : Marcella Grimes

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lavery's Assistant

Original Name : Celia Salkeld

Gender : Male

Reviews

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

Condemned men, strange? The Quare Fellow is directed by Arthur Dreifuss who along with Jacqueline Sundstrom co-adapts the screenplay from the Brendan Behan play. It stars Patrick McGoohan, Sylvia Syms, Walter Macken and Dermot Kelly. Music is by Alexander Faris and cinematography by Peter Hennessy. Thomas Crimmin (McGoohan) begins new employment at a Dublin jail firmly believing in the benefits of the death penalty. Not everyone of his colleagues feels the same, though, and as Crimmin works through his time and gets close to the wife of a condemned man, his beliefs are splintered. The play by all accounts was awash with humour, something which this filmic version considerably lacks. Dreifuss prefers to make the film bleak, both in surroundings and via the characterisations. The prison is perpetually cold and grey, smiles are hard to find within these walls, cynicism and fatalism drip from the wrought iron doors, and of course moral compasses are all over the place. This doesn't make it a bad film, not a bit of it, it's a tough drama acted superbly, with some brains and brawn injected into the script. Yet it ultimately plays its hand as a straight forward anti-capital punishment peace, missing opportunities to expand upon hinted at themes, particularly where Syms' fraught wife character is concerned. Still, it's a must for McGoohan and Syms fans and for those who like gritty pics set in prisons. 6.5/10