Hell is a City

Val Guest’s 1960 British crime film follows Inspector Martineau, played by Stanley Baker, as he investigates a murder while his marriage steadily falls apart. This Hammer-produced policier is set in Manchester and builds toward a tense, acclaimed climax on top of a building.

When: Saturday, November 14, 2026

Showtime: 7:00 pm

Venue: Harvard Film Archive

Film: *Hell Is a City*

Director: Val Guest

Cast: Stanley Baker, John Crawford, and Donald Pleasence

Country and year: United Kingdom, 1960

Run time: 93 minutes

Format: 35mm, black and white

Print source: British Film Institute

Tickets: Price not available

Series: Part of *Great Expectations: British Postwar Cinema, 1945–1960*, presented October 23–November 20, 2026.