Respected citizen. Loving husband. A secret identity.
Oldham, Lancashire 1932: Albert Pierrepoint, early 30s, a local delivery truck driver, arrives home one day to a letter sent to him "On Her Majesty"s Service". He has been accepted for training at Pentonville Prison, to honour the Pierrepoint name and become a British executioner, following in the footsteps of both his father and uncle. Despite his evident pride and excitement, his mother Mary disapproves and tells him exactly what she told his father; she never wants to hear, see, nor speak of it. The opportunity is a dream come true for Albert and he makes the trip to London. The journey marks the beginning of the incredible career of the world"s most famous executioner who will one day officiate at the hangings of some of Britain"s most notorious murderers including Haigh, the acid bath murderer, and Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be hanged in Britain.
Five years on, now married to local girl Anne, Albert is happily combining domestic bliss with his secret double life as a hangman. He carries out every execution with professionalism and detachment, strictly separating "the man" from "the executioner". For his own dignity, as well as that of his victims, he refuses to divulge any details of his job and, as with his mother, it is not discussed at home. Seeking refuge from the stresses and strains of war time, he and his friends spend many evenings enjoying a few drinks and having a sing-a-long beside the piano in their local pub. Within its blacked-out windows, Albert, nicknamed "Tosh", loves nothing more than performing spirited duets with his pal "Tish". The punters can"t get enough of "Tish and Tosh" either. It"s a small but priceless distraction from the harsh realities of the war.
Special Agent Matti
The biography, UK movie Pierrepoint (The last hangman) is directed by Adrian Shergold and stars Timothy Spall, Juliet Stevenson, Eddie Marsan.
M (Moderate capital punishment theme, moderate sex scene, incidental nudity)
91 minutes (1:31 hours)
Film: 6 September 2007
DVD rental: 14 May 2008
