Brucey D I don't have overly much to add to the other excellent reviews here (esp. Joe Pearce's) except to say this is a surprisingly good film, and Dors has a rare opportunity to shine as an actress in a role that has more to offer her than normal.Well worth watching, this, whether or not you draw parallels with the Ruth Ellis case or sympathise with the posture regarding capital punishment.

MartinHafer At the beginning of the film, you see Mary Hilton (Diana Dors) mercilessly unloading her gun into a woman. Why exactly she did this, you have no idea...nor who the victim was. The story soon switched to Death Row in a British prison and only a bit later are there flashbacks to let you have so idea of what you're missing in the story of this woman. I do know that nothing in the story made me feel sorry for her...and Mary's narration sometimes seemed to cast herself as a victim, of sorts. However, although the aim of the film appears to be to get the audience to care, as various prison folk talk about how bad the death penalty is or express a lot of empathy towards her. In fact, I would go so far as to say I wanted to see Mary hang for her actions and lack of regard for her murder....and so the film doesn't achieve its aim, at least for me. So, although the film excels at realism in some ways, it ultimately fails in getting the audience to care.

robertconnor Found guilty of murder and sentenced to death, a young woman lives out her last days under the watchful eyes of a small group of prison wardens.From its edgy opening sequence as the camera furtively tracks Dors' determined and resolute steps towards the killing, to the devastating final image of a smouldering cigarette we suspect will still be burning after the executioner has pulled his leaver, Yield To The Night is an extraordinary exploration of the reasons and repercussions surrounding a premeditated murder in mid-fifties Britain. At its heart is a performance which, over 50 years later still resonates with depth and naturalism. Even as we have witnessed her coldly and repeatedly shoot another woman to death, under the expert direction of J. Lee Thompson, Dors enables us to feel sorrow for the killer Mary Hilton and even if we can't condone the deliberate taking of her victim's life, we can at least realise that Hilton is also somehow a victim of circumstance. Dors doesn't put a foot wrong from beginning to end and the fact that she didn't receive domestic and international award nominations for her performance is in my opinion as puzzling as it is unforgivable, especially when one considers what were the celebrated performances of the time (Virginia McKenna, Audrey Hepburn and Dorothy Alison were BAFTA nominated that year). Could it be that the British and subsequently Amercian studio systems were unwilling to accept Dors as the intelligent and talented actress she so obviously was? Certainly the marketing and promotion of Yield To The Night in the US supports this premise - retitled Blonde Sinner, with lurid posters ridiculously emphasising Dors' sex symbol qualities and carrying the ludicrous and tacky tag-line "The Man-By-Man Story of a Lost Soul".Flaws? Yes - as written, Jim Lancaster, whilst handsome and initially charming just doesn't allow the viewer to believe he could be the reason for Mary's actions. Undoubtedly less to do with Michael Craig's performance than with the character being undeveloped in general. However, overall Yield To The Night is a powerful film that will linger long after the final credits have rolled, and now it is finally available in DVD should become essential viewing for all British cinema fans.

griffon-1 This film proved that Diane Dorrs was a superb serious actress. The obvious comparison to the tragic case of Ruth Ellis 12 months earlier only served to make a good film even better. The whole cast gave their heart and soul to it. A must for people who have not yet viewed it.