The Frightened City (1961)

• 47%
• 1961
• Crime
• Drama
• John Lemont
• Herbert Lom
• John Gregson
• Sean Connery

In London's West End, crooked mob accountant Waldo Zhernikov meets with gangster and nightclub owner Harry Foulcher to create a new crime syndicate. Waldo suggests that Harry recruit the five most prolific mobsters from the West End and create a syndicate with Harry as a boss. Every member of the syndicate would still control his usual territory and they would all evenly divide the profits, after paying Waldo his customary 20 per cent fee. During a meeting, they all agree to the plan. Their racket is the protection business. They force many small merchants and business owners to pay a monthly protection fee. Most victims comply out of fear. Those who refuse, are intimidated, beaten or have their businesses vandalized by hired thugs. The police does what it can to stop these acts but the resources and manpower are stretched to the limit. Detective Inspector Sayers is in charge of the West End rackets investigation. But witnesses are afraid to talk to the police. The crime syndicate had some initial success and the money is flowing. Former cat burglar Paddy Damion is recruited by the mob to act as the syndicate's enforcer. His girlfriend, Sadie, is an attractive blonde but he prefers to court nightclub singer Anya Bergodin who is Waldo's mistress. Ever more greedy for money, Waldo wants to go into the big time rackets and starts putting the squeeze on major construction companies and land developers. Upset about this, one member of the crime syndicate, Alf Peters, quits the group. Annoyed by his departure, the other mobsters start a gang war against Alf. When the war escalates, the government takes notice and the pressure on the law enforcement forces the police to arrest and then recruit Paddy Damion to rat on the syndicate. Its days are numbered.