Room 43

Passport to Shame

This old movie is incredibly current .... more relevant now to what goes on in london now than it was when it was made. There are no modern movies that show the intricacies of how these people work better than this marvellous old movie...

For some reason,Eddie Consadine,an American actor,popular on the continent was chosen as the male lead who is a taxi driver.So bang goes any hope of authenticity Herbert Lom does his best,whilst Diana Dors looks glamorous.However they cant save this undistinguished film from mediocrity.

This film is a wonderful summary of hypocritical late fifties cinema. Purporting to reveal the sordid life of the prostitute but revelling in the sleaze and violence. From the opening lecture from *Fabian * of the Yard, to a climactic roof fight, every cliche about girls on the game is flung at the viewer. Poor Diana Dors and Herbert Lom try, but are done in by the florid script and dull direction. Spot Michael Caine in a bit part at the wedding.

PASSPORT TO SHAME is a fine little British thriller shining a light on the murky world of prostitution, with Herbert Lom at his sleaziest playing the film's antagonist, a pimp who keeps the girls in his care in an iron grip. Up against him is cult icon Eddie Constantine, bringing a lot of charm to the picture, and Robert Brown, a lot of fun in a two-fisted supporting part. Much of the attention goes to the glamorous Diana Dors as one of the girls. The film does well with the thriller aspects, although it's a potboiler for part of the running time; the best part is the lavish extended climax which brings together large-scale action, pyrotechnics and some high-rise stunts for superb effect.

Diana Dors was stunning. Tight sheath dresses, a pretty face and cotton white hair. She didn't have to act. All she had to do is show up with an attitude, "I am here. Be grateful." The movie doesn't need a plot. You'll be too busy staring at Diana and wondering how she got a comb through that dry, bleached hair. She plays an entertainer. "What does an entertainer do?" "I entertain."

I fully expected this to be as lurid as its title but watched it anyway, probably because I first found it under its much cooler name, Room 43. Glad I did; it's immediately engrossing. A sweet French waitress is framed into prostitution. The first step is to set her up as a "thief" at her place of work. Then the madam, who works for the pimp, swoops in to "save" her and whisk her off to England. Once there they tell her she needs to marry a brit to stay there, enter our hero cabbie. This is all in service of forcing her into the life. There are some wonderfully 50s bombshells to contrast against her innocence which is underscored by her finding and adopting a kitten, as well as and other beauties of the era.