Brighton Rock

This article refers to the book by Graham Greene. For the confectionery, see Seaside Rock. For the song by Queen, see Brighton Rock (song)

Related Topics:
Graham Greene - Seaside Rock - Queen - Brighton Rock (song)

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Brighton Rock is a novel by Graham Greene, published in 1938 later made into a 1947 film.

Related Topics:
Novel - Graham Greene - 1938

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The novel is a murder thriller set in 1930s Brighton.

Related Topics:
Murder - Thriller - 1930s - Brighton

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Fred Hale, a former gangster, has returned to Brighton to anonymously distribute cards for a newspaper competition (this is based on "Lobby Lud"). The antihero of the novel, Pinkie Brown, is a teenage sociopath and up-and-coming gangster who has just taken control of the gang Hale had belonged to. Ida Arnold, a kind-hearted and decent woman, is drawn into the action by a chance meeting with the murder victim. When Pinkie murders Hale, his attempts to cover his tracks lead to a chain of fresh crimes and to an ill-fated marriage to Rose, a waitress who unknowingly has the power to destroy his alibi. Ida proceeds to place herself at the centre of events, in part to protect Rose from the remorseless, deeply disturbed boy she has married.

Related Topics:
Lobby Lud - Antihero - Pinkie Brown - Sociopath

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Although ostensibly an underworld thriller, the book is also a powerful exploration of the nature of sin and the basis of morality (Pinkie and Rose are Roman Catholics, and their beliefs are contrasted with Ida's strong but non-religious moral sensibility). This theme was related to Greene's own Catholicism, which he explored further in other aspects of his work.

Related Topics:
Sin - Morality - Roman Catholic

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Greene and Terence Rattigan wrote the screenplay for a 1947 film adaptation, produced and directed by John and Roy Boulting and starring Richard Attenborough as Pinkie, Carol Marsh as Rose, William Hartnell as Dallow, and Hermione Baddeley as Ida. The climax of the film takes place at the West Pier (although the book does not specify which pier). The film is considered one of the most successful British films noir. In the United States, the film was released under the title Young Scarface.

Related Topics:
Terence Rattigan - 1947 - John and Roy Boulting - Richard Attenborough - Carol Marsh - William Hartnell - Hermione Baddeley - Films noir - United States

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