Tread Softly Stranger (1958) Brit Bombshell Noir

"You can say what you like to me but you can't change me, and you can't hurt me. I've no pride where you're concerned and I don't give up easily. Remember, I come from a slum. From the gutter where it's quite a step up even to the pavement. I never had a home. I never had a father my mother could put a name to. I never had a thing. Until one day I found that I was attractive to the opposite sex. I discovered my legs weren't made just to stand on. I had one talent. Most people haven't got any. So I used that talent, and I got tough. I never loved anyone until you came along. I was never unfaithful to anyone in my life. Because I never had anyone to be unfaithful to." (Calico) 

Johnny Mansell (George Baker) is going to get lucky. Its a swanky flat in a trendy building. "Tread Softly Stranger" by Jim Dale is playing.

George Baker as Johnny Mansell

He's got a twist stopping by for a "little of the old in and out."  He straightens out room, combs his hair. She's a brunette call girl wearing a full length mink coat.



You know they'll all sisters under the mink. When she gets to his pad he fixes her a drink. He tells her to "get out of her things," wink, wink, then says he means her coat.



As he's handing her her drink and kissing her cheek the phone rings. It's a loan shark who tells Johnny that he'd better come up with the money or he'll have to find a plastic surgeon. Well that puts a damper on the proceedings. Johnny begins to pack.  The call girl is perplexed. He tells her he's going home to lay low for awhile.

Jane Griffiths as Sylvia

While the train rolls we get a credit sequence its probably what Get Carter homages. Johnny is heading to the "wild" North, Rawborogh a steel town. Hes taking it on the lam, going to lay low back in his old home town. Its actually shot in Rotherham, Yorkshire. Its a steel town a dreary, bleak place.

Rawborough

Home sweet home

When Johnny gets off the train he heads straight to the Working Man's Club. He was hoping to find his brother Dave there. Instead he finds his old friend Paddy Ryan (Patrick Allen) and his father Joe (Joseph Tomelty).

Paddy tells him they are all working at Mallabys the steel mill. Paddy works as a millwright, Joe is a night watchman but Dave however has a good job, as an accountant in the office. They also tell him that Dave's got a "regular" (meaning a gal pal with benefits). He hasn't been at the club much sine he's getting his noodle wet on a "regular" basis. Paddy tells him that shes a looker but Joe tells him that shes no good. She works at a dance hall.

Johnny also gets the address of Dave's boarding house. At the boarding house Johnny lets himself in to Dave's attic flat. Washing off the grime and soot of his journey, Johnny familiarizes himself with his new lodgings. Poking around he sees a woman's stockings festooning the iron beds foot-board and another the lampshade. The detritus of Dave wildly "stuffin’ the muffin" with his gal pal. When Johnny steps out onto the roof patio he scopes, on the adjoining tar beach, a hot blond bending over in short shorts doing her exercises. Its Calico (Diana Dors).

First views of  Calico a sort of  "Gilda" moment

Diana Dors as Calico

Here begins director Gordon Parry's interesting and obvious visual and audio metaphors that are sprinkled throughout the film. Some are quite hilarious but they probably sailed right over the heads of the censorship boards.

Here begins director Gordon Parry's interesting and obvious visual and audio metaphors that are sprinkled throughout the film. Some are quite hilarious but they probably sailed right over the heads of the censorship boards.

Johnny coughs Calico looks cue the industrial "pounding." 

Calico's  tops defy gravity

They both like what each other sees. Calico, it seems, has a penchant for wearing tops and dresses that are just about to slip off her ample boobs, she continually has to adjust the straps. Her short shorts in the "meet cute" sequence has a quite noticeable in-your-face camel toe.

Johnny Mansell: Funny thing about women in men's jerseys - makes them look more like women than ever.

Johnny checking out her "camel toe"

While Johnny chats up Calico his Brother Dave finally arrives at the flat. Dave, Johnny can plainly see, is completely smitten with Calico.

Terence Morgan as Dave Mansell

Johnny knows she's got him hooked. Later at the dance hall. Calico turns her allure towards Johnny. Johnny asks her to dance. While Johnny and Calico dance, Dave overhears two patrons talking derogatorily about Calico. He gets into a fight with them, Johnny joins in, and they all get thrown out.

another gravity defying top

Calico zeroing in on Johnny

Later Johnny has a confrontation with Calico. He tells her to lay off Dave. She tells him off. He slaps her down. She comes clawing back. He grabs her hands they struggle, but then embrace and kiss. Cut to the steel mill. A huge glowing "rod" is inserted into a wide open furnace, wink, wink.

a rod inserted in a hot box

Later another love making session with Calico is depicted more traditionally with thunder and lightning.

Thunder and lightning

Of course events go spiraling into Noirvsille when Dave reveals that he has been stealing from the company to woo Calico and an upcoming company audit is going to reveal a 300 pound shortfall, Johnny suggests that he can win the money at the track with what they an hock on the expensive watch Dave gave Calico. When Johnny doesn't return when planned Calico declares to Dave that he went back to London. She suggests that Dave's only hope is to break into the mill and steal the payroll. What does he have to loose? What could go wrong?

Noirsille

Directed by Gordon Parry. Written by George Minter and based on the play by Jack Popplewell. The exellent cinematography was by Douglas Slocombe and music by Tristram Cary.

The film stars Diana Dors as Calico, George Baker as Johnny Mansell, Terence Morgan as Dave Mansell, Patrick Allen as Paddy Ryan, Jane Griffiths as Sylvia, Joseph Tomelty as Joe Ryan, Thomas Heathcote as Sgt. Lamb, Russell Napier as Potter, Norman Macowan as Danny, Maureen Delany as Mrs. Finnegan, and Betty Warren as Flo.

A good introduction to Diana Dors, 710.