Passport to Shame – 1958 | 86 mins | Drama | B&W

Plot Synopsis

Following the BBFC’s reluctant decision toallow producers to tackle the subject of prostitution, tawdry and exploitive talesof vice and prostitution surfaced, often masquerading as cautionary socialdramas. This cheap yet fascinating piece of period exploitation is incredibly clichédand works best when taken as just another b-movie crime thriller rather thananything loftier. The film was led by two actors from French cinema, OdileVersois and American-born Eddie Constantine, but unfortunately both producelistless performances. Thankfully, colourful and sterling support is providedby Diana Dors’ reluctant prostitute, Herbert Lom’s callous pimp and Brenda deBanzie’s grooming madam.

East End loan shark Nick Biaggi (HerbertLom) is supplied attractive down-on-their-luck girls from Europe to bring toLondon to work as prostitutes. One of his cohorts is ‘madam’ Aggie (Brenda DeBanzie), who finds such a girl in Paris, poor French waif ‘Malou’ (OdileVersois), and persuades her to come to England to work as her companion. Toavoid requiring a work permit, Biaggi tricks honest Canadian taxi-driver JohnnyMcVey (Eddie Constantine) into marrying Malou so she gains a British passport.

After the wedding, Malou returns to Aggie’sand discovers a joining door to the brothel next door, and see’s working girlVicki (Diana Dors) picking up a guy on the streets. She attempts to flee butBiaggi decrees that she will be forced into prostitution with a high-classclient. Meanwhile, cab driver Johnny begins to shown some concern for hisfaux-wife, and when Biaggi’s hoods attempt to scare him off by beating him he,he calls on the cabby community to help find Malou. When Malou fails to submitto Biaggi’s demands, he tires of trying to force her and decides she must begot rid of.