Home / Pierrepoint: The Last Hangman

Pierrepoint: The Last Hangman

Year:

2006

Duration:

UK:90 min | Argentina:90 min | USA:95 min

Genres:

Biography | Crime | Drama | History

IMDB rate:

7.5

Director:

Adrian Shergold

Awards:

2 wins & 4 nominations

Details

Country: UK

Release Date: 2006-04-07

Filming Locations: Chatham Historic Dockyard, Chatham, Kent, England, UK

Earnings

Opening Weekend: $2,028 (USA) (3 June 2007)

Gross: $21,766 (USA) (24 June 2007)

Cast

Actor

Character

Marie Critchley

Simon Armstrong

Minister

Ann Bell

Violet Van Der Elst

Nicholas Blane

Governor of Strangeways

Clive Brunt

Warder at Strangeways

Cavan Clerkin

George Cooper

James Corden

Kirky

Neil Fitzmaurice

Cliff the Scouser

Keiran Flynn

Neville

Clive Francis

Field Marshall Montgomery

Christopher Fulford

Sykes

Frances Shergold

Alice

Lizzie Hopley

Dorothea Waddingham

Peter Jonfield

Mr. Andrews

Bernard Kay

Uncle Tom

Dominic Kemp

Medical Officer

Claire Keelan

Jessie Kelly

Rodney Litchfield

Sellers

Jack Lord

Jack Ellis

Eddie Marsan

James 'Tish' Corbitt

Tobias Menzies

Lieutenant Llewelyn

Ben McKay

Timothy Evans

Christopher Newland

Warder at Pentonville

Maggie Ollerenshaw

Mary Pierrepoint

Jacqueline Pilton

Lady Shopper

Mary Jo Randle

Mrs. Corbitt

Paul Ready

Anthony David Farrow

Mark Roper

Man Shopper

Kate Rutter

Woman in Pub

Ian Shaw

Percy

Sheyla Shehovich

Irma Grese

Robin Soans

Governor Paton-Walsh

Timothy Spall

Albert Pierrepoint

Juliet Stevenson

Anne Fletcher

Mary Stockley

Ruth Ellis

Tim Woodward

Governor of Holloway

Warren Bertram

Fritz Klein

David Davies

Nazi Prisoner

Joyia Fitch

Elizabeth Volkenrath

Marie Gawthorpe

Old Woman

Kenny Greenfield

Nazi Prisoner

Jo Gould

Goss

Owen Jennings

Protestor

Scott Davidson

Josef Kramer

Suzie Sackie

Juana Bormanns

Sarah-Jane Silverton Andrews

Market Shopper

Elizabeth Ford

Shouting Protestor (uncredited)

Kathryn Pogson

(uncredited)

Peter Ryder

Protester

John Warman

Prison Warder (uncredited)

Did you know?

Trivia

Despite the title Pierrepoint was not Britain's last hangman. He retired in the mid 1950s, shortly after executing Ruth Ellis - (see Dance with a Stranger (1985)). Britain never had a "last hangman", as the last two executions before suspension of capital punishment were carried out in different cities at the same time. As the last two people executed were both guilty of the murder of John West, it was decided to carry out sentence at the same time in Aug 1964. In Nov 1965, people were still being sentenced to death.

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As per the promo material, and the DVD insert, this film is "based on a true story," however, it might be more appropriate to describe the film as "based on true events," since the story is rather liberal with the actual facts of Pierrepont's, and other character's lives and circumstances. Big picture, true, small picture, not terribly accurate or precise.

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Goofs

Weights of the condemned being expressed in the American way as pounds, rather than the British stones and pounds. Pierrepoint was most meticulous, and would have based all his executions on the UK Home Office table of drops for hanging, which uses British units.

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The Hamelin war criminal hangings took place in an execution chamber at the end of a cell corridor within the old prison itself, not in an aircraft hangar. Pierrepoint described this very clearly in his memoirs.

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Nowhere in Pierrepoint's autobiography does he mention 'Kirky' or George Cooper. Similarly in the film, there is no presence of Steve Wade, Syd Dernley, or Harry Allen, who were Albert's assistants on many occasions.

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Quotes

Albert Pierrepoint: It's not been easy. I've got things in here too

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Albert Pierrepoint: [while attending to Dorothea Waddingham's lifeless body] She paid the price; she's innocent now.

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Governor Paton-Walsh: I don't mind telling you Pierrepoint... I don't think there's a better man in the country.

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