This thought-provoking classic stars Dirk Bogarde as Melville Farr, a homosexual (but married) lawyer who risks his career to hunt down a blackmailer who has photos of Farr and a young gay man (who is also being blackmailed and later commits suicide) in Farr’s car.
After the suicide, Farr tracks down other gay men who are being extorted for money by the same blackmailer.
The well-educated police Detective Inspector Harris considers the sodomy law nothing more than an aid to blackmailers and helps Farr in calling his blackmailer’s bluff.
The movie, far ahead of its time, ends with Farr and his wife coming to terms with his homosexuality after the public exposure he faces in the blackmailer’s trial.
When Victim was released, it started a nationwide discussion about homosexuality and associated blackmail and is credited with helping to decriminalise homosexuality in Britain.
Melville Farr
Dirk Bogarde
Laura Farr
Sylvia Syms
Calloway
Dennis Price
Phip
Nigel Stock
Jack Barrett
Peter McEnery
Eddy Stone
Donald Churchill
Lord Charles Fullbrook
Anthony Nicholls
P.H.
Hilton Edwards
Harold Doe
Norman Bird
Scott Hankin
Alan MacNaughtan
William Patterson
Noel Howlett
Henry
Charles Lloyd Pack
Detective Inspector Harris
John Barrie
Bridie
John Cairney
Mickey
David Evans
Paul Mandrake
Peter Copley
Madge
Mavis Villiers
Miss Benham
Margaret Diamond
Frank
Alan Howard
Sylvie
Dawn Beret
Director
Basil Dearden
