Passport to Shame [1958] [DVD]

In the late 1950s, the BBFC reluctantly allowed producers to tackle prostitution as long as the films masqueraded as “Awful Warnings”. This typical example is introduced by none other than Inspector Fabian, he of the Yard. Poor French waif Odile Versois comes to England and is tricked into working for a brothel run by evil Herbert Lom.

A cheap, tawdry and utterly fascinating piece of vintage sexploitation. Somewhat incredibly, it is the work of Alvin Rakoff, responsible for many distinguished TV plays in the Armchair Theatre series. Way down the cast list, Michael Caine plays a bridegroom.