sanctuary (1961)

"You know the price."
Nancy (Odetta), the maid to the Governor's daughter Temple Drake (Lee Remick) is convicted of the murder of Temple's child, and sentenced to hang. But the night before the hanging Temple attempts to come clean and get the servant off. Telling of the time she went to a moonshine operation run by Candy Man (Yves Montand), how he raped her, and how she subsequently became his lover...until 'rescued' by Gowan (Bradford Dillman), the man who took her to the moonshiners in the first place.
Based on a William Faulkner melodrama book and play, that examines the moral decay of the U.S. deep south in the 1920's.

a taste of honey (1961)

"You don't look forty. You look a sort of well-preserved sixty."
Salford in the 1960's and Jo (Rita Tushingham) is an shy and awkward teenager, with a promiscuous near alcoholic, domineering mother, Helen (Dora Bryan). Her life changes when she falls pregnant with a black sailors child and has to find an apartment and create her own life for herself, out of her mothers shadow. To help her she hooks up with Geoffrey (Murray Melvin), a shy and lonely gay man, (in a time when to be homosexual was illegal). But their brief taste of happiness is short-lived as Helen butts in and ends their idyll.
Another groundbreaking early 60's drama, with more than a hint of comedy along the way.

the loved one (1965)

"Ah shore do feel bad about yore uncle. He's the one that learned me good English."
Dennis Barlow (Robert Morse) arrives in Hollywood with high hopes, but no idea of what to do. He finds his way when his uncle dies and he has to arrange the funeral at Whispering Glades. Being attracted to one of the cosmeticians, Aimee Thanatogenos (Anjanette Comer), he decides to work in the business. Unfortunately he can only get a job at the Happy Hunting Ground pet cemetery and has to contend with a rival embalmer Mr Joyboy (Rod Steiger) for the attentions of Aimee.
Satire on the American way of life, Hollywood and the funeral business. Crammed full of name actors, this is in turn a subtle satire and then a broad comedy, attacking everything in sight. Fantastically black entertainment.

loneliness of the long distance runner (1962)

"The best thing to do is be cunning and stay where you are. I'm going to let them think they've got me house trained, but they never will, the bastards. To get me beat, they'll have to stick a rope around my neck."
Sent to reform school for burglary, Colin Smith (Tom Courtenay) is determined that the system will not break him. But his ability at long distance running brings him to the attention of the governor. Whilst he trains and is bullied by the other inmates, for being the governors favorite, we are privy to his backstory in flashback, and find out what brought him to this point.
Developed by Alan Sillitoe from his own short story, this is a gripping tale in the angry young man mould that was so prevalent at this time.