Ian Merrick's directorial debut arrived in 1977 soon after Donald Neilson was convicted of the murder of Lesley Whittle in 1976.
At the time the movie was regarded as exploitative and inspired sensational headlines. It's run at the movie theatres was limited and it was in effect banned until released on video.
There are some rumours that the police wanted to see the back of this movie. It is clear they come across as inept when young heiress Lesley Whittle was kidnapped ny Neilson.
The film is not lurid or exploitative. It is a character study of Neilson played by Donald Sumpter. He had done National Service, although a builder by trade. He had done a series of burglaries in the 1960s.
By the 1970s he made money by robbing post offices. Despite military precision planning, several of them were bungled, as Neilson was now a killer. As he wore a black hood was the reason he became known as the black panther.
The kidnapping of Lesley Whittle was another attempt of doing something different. Post Offices had beefed up security by now.
The problem was the ransom drop off became too complicated and error prone.
The movie is a character study of Donald Neilson. Merrick uses economy to give details of the man. A racist, just watch him as he trips over and a black man goes to help him.
His home life was that of a bully. Aggressive to his wife and daughter.
Neilson was focussed on keeping fit, maintaining his arsenal of weapons and his thorough planning. Even if things did go wrong. He ended up being arrested by chance.
Of course now the movie looks rather tame. It did gloss over some of Neilsen's early life. There is a moody performance from Sumpter.
