Naked Fury
| Company type | Film |
|---|---|
| Industry | Film |
| Founded | 1959 |
Key people | Charles Saunders (director), Guido Coen (writer), Brock Williams (writer) |
| Products | Crime thriller film |
Naked Fury—known in the United States as The Pleasure Lovers—is a 1959 British second feature ('B') crime thriller directed by Charles Saunders. The film stars Reed De Rouen, Kenneth Cope, and Leigh Madison. Crafted by writers Guido Coen and Brock Williams, the narrative centers on a group of criminals whose heist escalates into kidnapping and internal strife.
Plot
A quartet of thieves execute a warehouse robbery, assaulting the night watchman and abducting his daughter. Conflict intensifies when one member of the gang develops romantic feelings for the captive, especially following the night watchman’s death due to his injuries.
Cast
- Reed De Rouen as Eddy
- Kenneth Cope as Johnny
- Leigh Madison as Carol
- Arthur Lovegrove as Syd
- Alexander Field as Vic
- Tommy Eytle as Steve
- Ann Lynn as Stella
- Marianne Brauns as Joy
- Arthur Gross as Tom Parker
- Redmond Phillips as Inspector Stevens
- Eric Woodburn as Frank Hawking
- Denis Shaw as Captain Horst
Reception
The trade paper Kine Weekly labeled it a "hard-boiled melodrama" with a straightforward moral that crime ultimately fails, describing it as a "good British 'second'." Picturegoer commended the film’s concise narrative, which efficiently incorporates robbery, hostage situations, and murder within less than sixty minutes. In British Sound Films, David Quinlan regarded it as surprisingly effective for a second feature, successfully holding viewers’ interest. Authors Chibnall and McFarlane, in The British 'B' Film, highlighted its well-driven criminal characters and grim conclusion. On the other hand, David Parkinson from The Radio Times Guide to Films awarded it 1 out of 5 stars, criticizing both the screenplay and production values despite acknowledging the cast’s performances.