YIELD TO THE NIGHT, MOVIE (1956)
by Alan Ewing
The late, great Diana Dors. Overlooked and greatly under-rated British blonde bombshell. if you have never seen "Yeild To The Night" (1956) then you have in your must-watch list an experience that you will never forget. The basic premise is straightforward. A beautiful, glamourous powerhouse of a blonde woman is on death row, sentenced to be hanged for the murder of a love rival who caused the death of the man that she loved. It is a classic crime of passion.
The glamour scenes see Diana Dors in her absolute prime. Veering between the blonde who men adore to the vulnerable woman so madly in love with the man of her dreams. Her screen presence and acting are second to none. She captivates, entrances and convinces with her acting at every turn. Her beauty and womanly presence have in all probability never been bettered by a British screen actress than in this film.
Her performance has more than one layer though. The scenes that she plays in the prison are both harrowing and gripping. Confined to a room with prison guards, most of her time is spent in bed, At the end of the bed lies a door with no handle. This door opens into the hangman's chamber itself. We are left to wonder if her appeal to the British Home Secretary will see her sentence commuted to life. Shorn of her glamour, Diana Dors portrays the horror of the situation in quite remarkable fashion.
Diana's acting is profound and extremely moving in these prison scenes as the candle of her life ebbs away in the face of a state based on primitive values that lack any sense of understanding or compassion in the face of mitigating circumstances. It is testament to the incredible acting skills of this undervalued British actress that we find ourselves, like the immense supporting cast, as prison officials, feeling both understanding and forgiveness for the circumstances that she has found herself in. It is heart-rendering.
The film has a basic relation to the Ruth Ellis case, the last woman to be hanged in England. It challenges the barbaric state capital punishment which is no less murder than the original act. It is one of the most challenging films ever made.
As an actress Diana Dors was the ultimate British Blonde. It is a wonderful tribute to her that she stands very prominently to the right of The Beatles on "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. If you ever wondered why that is, then watch "Yield To The Night". You will understand the love that this actress inspired in the British people.
In Loving Tribute to Diana Dors
Alan Ewing, July 2018
