Paula Hammond - Features EditorReleased as companion-pieces, The Weak and the Wicked and No Trees in the Street, are StudioCanal’s latest additions to their Vintage Classics range.
Directed by J. Lee Thompson (Ice Cold in Alex) No Trees in the Street, is another superb example of Thompson’s ‘kitchen sink’ drama — and pre-empted the British New wave by several years.
Released in 1959, this tense crime thriller was adapted by TV and theatre writer Ted Willis from his own stage play, for which he received a BAFTA nomination.
Sylvia Syms stars as Hetty, a sweet young woman who desperately tries to stop her younger teenage brother, Tommy (Melvyn Hayes), descending in to crime in the slums of pre-war East London. At the same time, Hetty’s mother urges her to take up with Wilkie (Herbert Lom), a smooth-talking local racketeer, who she hopes will help raise the family out of poverty.
J. Lee Thompson, Sylvia Syms, and Ted Willis had previously collaborated on both Ice Cold in Alex, and Woman in a Dressing Gown (1957) — and the combination of strong, female protagonists and hard-hitting storylines works to great effect. In fact, Thompson’s work consistently speaks for the underdogs, in a way that few films — then, or now — do.
The result is a terse and engaging thriller, with a sparkling script and top-notch performances.
No Trees in the Street won’t appeal to everyone. This is a dark tale, told eyes wide open. But told with compassion, tenderness, and the glimmer of hope.
