This film is part of Free

Good-Time Girl

Find out what happens when a good girl goes bad in this controversial post-war Brit noir thriller starring Jean Kent.

Drama 1948 92 mins

Overview

Teenager Gwen runs away from home to escape her violent father and ends up in Soho, framed for a crime she did not commit, in this exciting Brit noir thriller. Sent to an approved school, she teams up with fellow inmate Roberta (a brilliant Jill Balcon), breaks out and causes mayhem along the Brighton coast. With a fantastic lead performance from Jean Kent, the film is grimy, gripping, and features an impressive cast which also includes Herbert Lom, Dennis Price, and a youthful Diana Dors.

The film provoked press uproar in 1947, with many deciding it was vulgar and violent. "It made me vomit", declared critic W.A. Wilcox in the Sunday Despatch. Home Secretary James Chuter Ede went to lunch with studio boss J. Arthur Rank to protest at the film's implied criticism of approved schools. It was altered as a result, but the finished product - partially inspired by the real life 'cleft chin murder' case - still caused consternation and controversy.