Decoy (1946), directed by Jack Bernhard, with Jean Gillie, Edward Norris and Robert Armstrong.

In this little-seen noir, Jean Gillie, who at the time was married to director Jack Bernhard, plays a female gangster, Margot Shelby. Her lover, Frankie Olins, has been sentenced to death in a gas chamber, following a murder during a robbery of $400,000 from an armoured car. She develops a plan to resuscitate him and find out where he hid the money.

Jean Gillie was originally a comedy actress born and raised in the UK. She married Bernhard while he was on military service in Britain, and then moved to the States for a change of role. A contemporary critic commented: “It’s been a long time since the screen has seen a more sinister feminine character than the one which Jean Gillie plays in Decoy“. She followed this with another film starring alongside Gregory Peck, which turned out to be her last. Having divorced Bernhard, she returned to Britain but died shortly afterwards, aged 33.

Doors open at 18.30, for a 19.30 start.

Refreshments will be available in our licensed cafe/bar.

TICKETS & PRICING

Tickets £8.

Advance tickets may be purchased from Ticketlab, or direct from the Museum by calling 020 7840 2200 in office hours.