One problem with the hanging scene apart from the fact that Peirrepoint hung very very quick is where the rope was on the Deadman. The noose was placed under the left jaw so when they finally were hung the noose snapped the head back so the rope was not at the back of the neck but it infront of his jawbone.
@@goodyeoman4534 Just attention to detail PLUS Albert Peirrepoint himself stated that Under the left in jaw the ropecomes around thefrontand snaps the head back Under the right jaw the rope goes to the back of the neck and doesn't break the neck.
@@Steven_Rowe You are right. It was part of Pierrepoint's meticulous attention to detail. Death had to be delivered in the quickest cleanest manner attainable. Besides they were just pub mates not close friends. In his autobiography Pierrepoint states that he did not even recognise the culprit's real name. They just knew each other as Tish and Tosh.
@@jameshogan6142 a strange job and one Peirrepoint wanted to do. Regardless of horrible crime the fact you are sentenced and know the exact date and time of death must have been dreadful. At least the who process from entering the cell to execution was carried out in well under a minute How you come to terms with be paid to kill somebody is beyond me though.
Context: the murderer (played by Eddie Marsan) knew his hangman personally. He was a regular at Pierrepoint's pub and they called each other Tish and Tosh.
It was also Pierrepoints' reasoning for being against the death penalty. All the locals at the pub knew he was a hangman and yet his regular singing pal from the pub still committed a brutal murder.
@@tabsntoot he was known for reassuring the condemned though: he says in his book that he often said : “follow me it will be alright.” It was a nasty job but someone had to do it and he was efficient and humane.
Have you realised they’re both trying to make it easier on each other. Albert is being courteous and kind to calm tish down and reassure him. Tish on the other hand is trying to put his head in the noose to lessen the stress put on Albert, aswell as thanking him to reassure Albert that he doesn’t feel any Malice towards his freind. It’s the little things that make this film
@ukkjpl This scene is apparently historically accurate. Albert Pierrepont went on record as stating this was his most difficult & stressful execution out of all the executions he carried out, though he also mentioned Ruth Ellis and Derek Bentley having a profound effect on him. The man he hanged was a regular at his pub for years, he was a genuine friend of Albert's.
@ukkjpl I imagine this scene overdramatises it somewhat, but he may well have taken slightly...longer and been less forceful in this particular case. And no, actually, there were no guidelines that specifically stated how long an execution should take, only that it was advised it be done swiftly. Pierrepont made it his modus operandi to hang them as quickly as possible, his record being 7 seconds; though that feat was achieved only because the condemned had asked Pierrepont in person before the execution to make it as fast as possible, so they both came up with a plan that James Inglis (the condemned) would run to the noose when the doors were opened on his cell, which he did, and from there Pierrepont got the restraints, hood and noose around him in 5 seconds, by the 7th he had pulled the lever. Generally, any person he was to hang could expect to be alive for about 10 seconds before he had them through the trapdoor. In this particular case, he had to hang his best friend whom he'd known for many years. Perhaps he just didn't have it in him that day to get it over with as quickly as he would normally.
Thing about all British hangmen from Marwood onwards was the fact they wanted the execution as quick and humane as possible. Marwood pioneered the long drop for this purpose. I have read Pierrepoint’s biography and he was a perfectionist. They were all killed instantly of a broken neck or deeply unconscious instantly with heart stopping soon after.
The best touch in this scene is that Pierrepoint says, 'I will look after you.' This contrasts with how he simply said 'Follow me' to other convicts. Even though his friend is a convicted murderer, this line demonstrates there is still love there for him.
If I was a man be hanged. I will think. Where we are going and see the noose think like what is that thing ( because my parents never wanted me to see that thing when I was a child so I can't see clearly the tool that they used to execute).
Not very accurate. In reality the Executioner and Assistant entered the cell very quickly, wrists secured and walked into the chamber, placed condemned over the drop, put on the hood and whilst this was being done the Assistant secured the ankles and then the lever was pulled. In all it took between 10-15 seconds unless the condemned struggled. I think Pierrepoint's record was about 9 seconds. Being the complete Professional Pierrepoint would not have delayed the drop for any reason, he would have regarded it as cruel to prolong the Condemned's fear and horror of what was going to happen to him.
It was because of this man, in particular, James Corbett, that he changed his mind about the death penalty. They were not close friends but called each other Tish and Tosh as was the custom in Great Britain among acquaintances who were not close friends. They sang together at Pierpont's Pub. He knew what Pierpont's "side job" was and yet as Pierpont later said, it was not sufficient to act as a deterrent. Corbett was found guilty of murdering his mistress. It was thought that he had planned the murder for a year, hence Pierpont's conclusion. The case of Ruth Ellis, a troubled, abused woman who murdered her lover was the final straw in changing Pierpont's views. The hangman's fracture results in paralysis from C2 downward which include the diaphragm and intercostal muscles which are responsible for breathing. This, coupled with tracheal compression (choaking,) and carotid compression (strangulation) ultimately results in death. However, I seriously doubt it is instant. The executee may be conscious for 30 seconds or less. Nobody has ever hung around to tell us! I also doubt that it is painless althogh whatever one feels is probably fleeting. I would suspect there would be some kind of electric, tingling-like parasthesia associated with the spinal cord injury.
Yeah, the obsession with instantaneous death has always been annoying. If you want that, a contact blast from a 12 gauge slug will do that. If you want it to be pretty then give them barbiturates and then for the nitrogen mask on their face or something
It is a strong deterrent. The fact that bank robbers in this era refused to carry weapons on jobs is just one example of that. Naturally, there is a percentage of criminals who would commit evil acts regardless of whether capital punishment existed or not. I agree that CP should not be brought back, but I am for it in principle.
@@goodyeoman4534 I am also for it in principle but, if it is to be a deterrent, it should be public and televised as they do in Saudi Arabia. The other problem is the number of death row individuals who have been exonerated by DNA as well as the fact that there have probably been some innocent individuals executed. Capital punishment should never be the sentence in a circumstantial case. Even eyewitness testimony has been shown to be questionable Finally, a lot of so-called forensic evidence such as blood spatter analysis is also questionable and actually very subjective and pseudoscience.
Why should it be public? Other than for macabre entertainment? The DNA point is a bit of a moot point. I would only support the DP for cases where the evidence was water-tight. Like that teenager in that island of Scotland who murdered that little girl.
This was over dramatized, Albert Pierrepoint knew him yes but sang along with anyone at his pub and this guy just happened to be another regular he occasionally he sang with, they weren't bosom buddies as portrayed and it was business as usual on the day.
If you read his biography though you will see that he did comfort the guy before execution. One thing about Pierrepoint is that he did at least claim to try to put people at their ease in a grim situation. He also felt it was imperative to kill instantly too so very careful with drops etc. If I had to be turned off i’d want someone like him doing it.
@@mattbod Even today, putting the prisoner at ease on the way to the execution is standard practice. A panicking inmate is more likely to struggle and fight, better to calm them and get them to accept the inevitable.
I read the bio and see what you are saying but I think it is believable and you need drama for a watchable movie. Albert Pierrepoint was pragmatic but not unfeeling, he did what was necessary and it was not an unreasonable request. The screenwriters made this event the focal point of the movie and it works well. It's true, this particular execution was little more than an anecdote, Pierrepoint knew him but not all that well and it didn't affect him emotionally. All the same, in his book, Pierrepoint's final words against capital punishment are among the best arguments I have read on the matter. "The trouble with the death sentence has always been that nobody wanted it for everybody, but everybody differed about who should get off" His biography is full of pithy sentences like these. It is so well written, the english so well constructed I have to wonder if he had a ghostwriter.
The correct figure for the executions carried out by Albert Pierrepoint between 1932 and 1955 is 433 plus one where he observed as part of his training .... Matthew:)
I read that after the Nazi hangings Pierrepoint received an anonomyous letter every year for many years with a 5 pound note and a piece of paper with the word "Belsen" written on it.
A bit of trivia here. Growing up in London in the 60s we all knew about hanging and hangman's knots like in the Westerns. We thought that is the rope used. My dad was a bell hanger for the Whitechapel bell Foundry, he installed bells known as hanging a bell and one day he had to buy some ropes for his truck and went to a firm in Bermondsey who made ropes, this would be in the mid to late 60s when hanging had finished in the UK. One Sunday lunch time he told us about the visit and told me the made hangman's ropes and described how they didn't have coils but described them exactly like in the Peirrepoint film. Apparently they still supplied them for export and remember the home office still either had them or bought them. The last gallows was Wandsworth and it was tested every 6 months until 1992 it's on UA-cam. Well fast forward to 1971 and I went to the Odeon Nottinghill gate with my sister and we saw 10 rillington place which is ironic because Rillington place was in Nottinghill. The scene shows Evans being hung and for the first time I saw a real hangman's rope just as dad described. Well dad is no longer and a few years ago I thought about where the firm was and sure enough if you google hangman's ropes Bermondsey you will find a firm John Eddington who was in Old Kent Road and there are pictures of 13ft long hangman's ropes after being made. Well the film is a good film but there is a lot wrong. The first hanging his mate who was also new threw up according the the film both of them were new, in reality Albert never did a hanging by himself until 1940 he was assistant to an experienced man. I high recommended reading Peirrepoints book, I read it in 1975. i think I have a curiousity with death as it is a mystery,even more so when you know the day the hour and the minute you will die. I also curious how people involved feel be it Peirrepoint or even warders who sat and got to know someone for three weeks. What impact does it have. Also Peirrepoint hung Bentley who wasn't a murderer and Evans who was wrongly executed. Yes you can argue you didn't convict them and sentence them but you are still volunteering to carry it out. I think my conscience would overwhelm me.
Total nonsense. Pierrepoint had this execution done probably in under 15 seconds from entering thecell. he wouldnever have dreamed of dragging it out with long emotionalpausesasdepicted here.
Something wrong with this. In the narrow minded parochial life in Britain, don't you think that Albert on the rumour mill and gossip, would have known that his mate had killed that woman and had been convicted and sentenced to hang. Hell back in Britain you can't pee the bed without the whole community getting wind of it.
I’ve always wondered - executioners throughout the ages, some given due to experience others because of their blood lust - ever like this man, came face to face with having to put to death a friend or a family member and ever it was a coming to Jesus moment…that that person was the last person they killed and or it drove them to be quick and as painless as they could while fulfilling their duty.
It's bullshit. Pierrepoint had no 'best friend'. This was a man whose name he didn't even know, but whom he recognised as having sung in his pub. He said "Hello Tish" as Pierrepoint entered the cell, and Pierrepoint replied "Hello Tosh, how are you?". Then "Come on Tosh, old lad". But that was all. See Pierrepoint's book.
He seemed like a man who you could easily get on the wrong side of having lots of people sucking up to him every day he could be happy one minute and then something trivial would upset him like food being served that he didn’t like I read this again in syd dernleys book
One evening before a hanging they were served ham and cress for tea the cress being the most of the meal and pierrpoint threw a wobbly at the screw and said that’s grass I’m not eating this muck get us something proper or no job in the morning!
Artistic licence as the film industry call it can be annoying but yes Pierrepoints autobiography is a deffo must read, so informative as to the British method of execution and about the Master of his "Craft"
interesting fact,thier was an assistant who trained up with syd dernley called Harry Allen not ‘the Harry Allen and on one occasion he was assigned to assist the main Harry so on that hanging it was two Harry Allen’s !! The main Harry pulled the lever though. They both left for a pint afterwards , read that in dernleys book
There were two 'last hangmen'. Of the 35 executions carried out in the UK and Jersey between 1957 and 1964, most were carried out by Harry Allen. However, where two executions had to be carried out at exactly the same time (as was the case for the last two pairs of executions), Robert Stewart (who had sometimes been Allen's assistant) was called in. This was the case for the two executions in 1963 (Pascoe and Whitty) and the last two of all in 1964 (Allen and Evans). Thereafter the incoming Labour Government commuted all death sentences in Britain until hanging was first suspended in 1965 and then finally abolished in 1969.
I read Pierrepoints autobiography, and the time between him entering the condemned cell and the drop going down was between eight and twenty seconds, depending usually on how far the gallows were from the condemned cell.
The gallows were a matter of feet away from the condemned cell. The entrance to the gallows was hidden behind a wardrobe in the condemned cell. The wardrobe had two wheels on one side, making it a swift job to lift the other side and push it aside, exposing an open entrance to the gallows. It was only a few feet away. Pierrepoint's quickest hanging only took 11 seconds from the time of the wardrobe being pushed aside. The execution was over almost before the condemned knew what was happening.
@@sigridbohne An eight o'clock hanging was normally over by 8:00:25 am, counting "over" as the drop and the severance of the spinal cord. This video is making Pierrepoint out to be a torturer.
They would have difficulty doing that now under the Working at height regulations for the prison guards and the hangman. If they fell through the floor or the trap opened by mistake then could lead to serious or catastrophic injuries.
Can't run the risk of a rope burn these days!! he should of been provided health and safety approved gloves, steel top tap boots, a high Viz and hard hat at the very least 😂
@@The.Watcher.On.The.Wall.UK.93 no none of that is necessary. It's not a building site. At the very least the trap door area should be barriered off to prevent any staff falling through it. The only one doing that would be the condemned.
@@alessandrodorsi9800 actually,long drop hanging is a combine of art and science. how long the condemn need to suffer depends on the skill of the hangman Although it may be have a drop table.due to different people have different neck density which may made then need to drop longer or shorter.That made hangman craft still is essential for a perfect long drop hanging.(or maybe the condemn need to suffer more than an hour)
He played a character in real life known for his merciful nature in his quick kills and care with the bodies after their death. Deeming their sins redeemed in their death, he even ordered their body to be buried properly in a coffin fitted to their size and weight. As executioners go, he was certainly the best. If I had to choose who would execute me, I would ask for him. God forbid I ever have to though.
Perhpas God can answer for all the people he killed as well, think of the Great Flood and the first Born in Egypt to name a few? That of course is if you believe in the imaginery friend in the sky!
Yes and no. The man's going to die either way. Pierrepoint was a consummate professional who put great effort into minimizing suffering and giving the condemned their dignity. Would you rather have that, or a botched execution?
@@Dasycottus Your assumption that I could imagine myself hanging people, watching their last moment's despair, fear and hopelessness, and allowing a thought that in some cases you might be killing innocent people like in case of a young woman who was sentenced to death because her lover stabbed her husband. And then hearing their neck breaking, bringing them up and see the fruit of your trade right before you, and living with the fact that you took someone's life and then leave many people with their immense pain of loss. And on top of it all most likely being haunted by those whom you killed, which is a very well recorded phenomenon too. So no, I cannot imagine myself doing any of this, let alone proceeding with hanging nuances that you want to discuss here.
@@Phoenix_cataclysm_in_2040 isn't the whole idea of cinema to try and empathize with the characters? I don't think I could hang somebody either. There's a reason Pierrepoint himself concluded that capital punishment wasn't worth it.
@@Dasycottus Indeed. Portraying this guy as kind, well-adjusted, basically normal bloke that you would hang out with and have a giggle over pint or two in the pub down the road is truly bizzare. Anything but.
Lot of iffy cases back in 50s especially so yea even the most tiny scrap of doubt of even hear say should be a no no. People like Huntley and whiting would be a good start
One problem with the hanging scene apart from the fact that Peirrepoint hung very very quick is where the rope was on the Deadman.
The noose was placed under the left jaw so when they finally were hung the noose snapped the head back so the rope was not at the back of the neck but it infront of his jawbone.
Ok then......
You're probably the only one who noticed, mate.
@@goodyeoman4534 Just attention to detail PLUS Albert Peirrepoint himself stated that Under the left in jaw the ropecomes around thefrontand snaps the head back
Under the right jaw the rope goes to the back of the neck and doesn't break the neck.
@@Steven_Rowe You are right. It was part of Pierrepoint's meticulous attention to detail. Death had to be delivered in the quickest cleanest manner attainable. Besides they were just pub mates not close friends. In his autobiography Pierrepoint states that he did not even recognise the culprit's real name. They just knew each other as Tish and Tosh.
@@jameshogan6142 a strange job and one Peirrepoint wanted to do.
Regardless of horrible crime the fact you are sentenced and know the exact date and time of death must have been dreadful.
At least the who process from entering the cell to execution was carried out in well under a minute
How you come to terms with be paid to kill somebody is beyond me though.
Fantastic movie. Timothy Spall was amazing in this.
Context: the murderer (played by Eddie Marsan) knew his hangman personally. He was a regular at Pierrepoint's pub and they called each other Tish and Tosh.
Pierrepoint showed emotion throughout this scene, especially afterwards when he told his wife that he had to hang Tish.
It was also Pierrepoints' reasoning for being against the death penalty. All the locals at the pub knew he was a hangman and yet his regular singing pal from the pub still committed a brutal murder.
He was the type not to get emotional on the job in fact any hint of that would of been his last as the home office would not tolerate it that’s a fact
@@tabsntoot he was known for reassuring the condemned though: he says in his book that he often said : “follow me it will be alright.” It was a nasty job but someone had to do it and he was efficient and humane.
Wow 😢 that’s sad
Have you realised they’re both trying to make it easier on each other. Albert is being courteous and kind to calm tish down and reassure him. Tish on the other hand is trying to put his head in the noose to lessen the stress put on Albert, aswell as thanking him to reassure Albert that he doesn’t feel any Malice towards his freind. It’s the little things that make this film
It’s a load a of crap. Albert would of relegated his’pal’ to any other bugger who had to go
@ukkjpl This scene is apparently historically accurate. Albert Pierrepont went on record as stating this was his most difficult & stressful execution out of all the executions he carried out, though he also mentioned Ruth Ellis and Derek Bentley having a profound effect on him. The man he hanged was a regular at his pub for years, he was a genuine friend of Albert's.
@@keighlancoe5933 showing any hesitation or personalize was against the rules far as i know ,the authoritys would kick you off for it
@ukkjpl I imagine this scene overdramatises it somewhat, but he may well have taken slightly...longer and been less forceful in this particular case. And no, actually, there were no guidelines that specifically stated how long an execution should take, only that it was advised it be done swiftly. Pierrepont made it his modus operandi to hang them as quickly as possible, his record being 7 seconds; though that feat was achieved only because the condemned had asked Pierrepont in person before the execution to make it as fast as possible, so they both came up with a plan that James Inglis (the condemned) would run to the noose when the doors were opened on his cell, which he did, and from there Pierrepont got the restraints, hood and noose around him in 5 seconds, by the 7th he had pulled the lever. Generally, any person he was to hang could expect to be alive for about 10 seconds before he had them through the trapdoor.
In this particular case, he had to hang his best friend whom he'd known for many years. Perhaps he just didn't have it in him that day to get it over with as quickly as he would normally.
@@keighlancoe5933 It wasnt his best friend - read Pierrepoint's autobiography before waffling on about this case.
Thing about all British hangmen from Marwood onwards was the fact they wanted the execution as quick and humane as possible. Marwood pioneered the long drop for this purpose. I have read Pierrepoint’s biography and he was a perfectionist. They were all killed instantly of a broken neck or deeply unconscious instantly with heart stopping soon after.
He had did his best to do good for him
The length of drop was critical, there have been cases of decapitation when the drop was too long. Saddam Hussein’s head nearly came off.
An old rhyme about Marwood went
"If Pa killed Ma
Who'd kill Pa?
Marwood"
That is so sad. James looked so happy when Albert acknowledged him as ‘Tish’. Very touching and powerful scene.
In my opinion Timothy Spall and Eddie Marsan are 2 of the best actors ever
Don't know what it was like in real life but the relief in Tish's face when Tosh acknowledges him is amazing.
If you read Pierrepoints autobiography it’s actually quite accurate. I’m he says his whole demeanour changes once she acknowledges him.
The best touch in this scene is that Pierrepoint says, 'I will look after you.' This contrasts with how he simply said 'Follow me' to other convicts. Even though his friend is a convicted murderer, this line demonstrates there is still love there for him.
Yep , very sad .
If I died in Asia, I will be insulted.
If I was a man be hanged. I will think. Where we are going and see the noose think like what is that thing ( because my parents never wanted me to see that thing when I was a child so I can't see clearly the tool that they used to execute).
more likely a peice of fiction added by the flim
Go on yer bugger is what he probably said to himself while cranking the lever
A stretch in prison had a different meaning in Pierrepoint's time than today.
One of Britain's finest actors, Spall
Totally!
Yes indeed.
Ever since "Auf Wiedersehen Pet"
Knighthood is long overdue.
Doyou thinkso?Can't stand himmyself,with that permanent lookof disgust and disapproval.
But not the best looking.
Fantastic acting by both men in this.
Timothy Spall is superb in everything he does.
He is. Maybe a bit to kind a face actually. Albert had a very grim and austere look about him
Would yow loik to cum back to wor hutt? (Barry chatting up German girls in Auf Wiedersehen Pet)
After he done After weidersein pet ,i thought for many years that he was a Brummie
@@dylanroff4205 I first saw him in Quadrophenia. Even though it was a bit part, I had a sense he was going places.
Brilliant acting from everyone
Fake scene it never happened. Corbett was hanged Pierrepont NEVER spouted anything.
Incredible movie....so sad for Ruth Ellis....she was unhinged by grief and betrayal.... may she be at peace now 🙏
She should not have been executed.
@Bif Stiff Her former husband hanged himself
God loves her.
That fact should spell the universal end of capital punishment. Worldwide, there'll be many such suicides...
She was a murderer, woman or otherwise
Not very accurate. In reality the Executioner and Assistant entered the cell very quickly, wrists secured and walked into the chamber, placed condemned over the drop, put on the hood and whilst this was being done the Assistant secured the ankles and then the lever was pulled. In all it took between 10-15 seconds unless the condemned struggled. I think Pierrepoint's record was about 9 seconds. Being the complete Professional Pierrepoint would not have delayed the drop for any reason, he would have regarded it as cruel to prolong the Condemned's fear and horror of what was going to happen to him.
Great movie, great acting and a very touching powerful scene
It was because of this man, in particular, James Corbett, that he changed his mind about the death penalty. They were not close friends but called each other Tish and Tosh as was the custom in Great Britain among acquaintances who were not close friends. They sang together at Pierpont's Pub. He knew what Pierpont's "side job" was and yet as Pierpont later said, it was not sufficient to act as a deterrent. Corbett was found guilty of murdering his mistress. It was thought that he had planned the murder for a year, hence Pierpont's conclusion.
The case of Ruth Ellis, a troubled, abused woman who murdered her lover was the final straw in changing Pierpont's views.
The hangman's fracture results in paralysis from C2 downward which include the diaphragm and intercostal muscles which are responsible for breathing. This, coupled with tracheal compression (choaking,) and carotid compression (strangulation) ultimately results in death. However, I seriously doubt it is instant. The executee may be conscious for 30 seconds or less. Nobody has ever hung around to tell us! I also doubt that it is painless althogh whatever one feels is probably fleeting. I would suspect there would be some kind of electric, tingling-like parasthesia associated with the spinal cord injury.
What about the severing of the spinal cord that accompanies the hangman's fracture? Surely this would cause instant death?
Yeah, the obsession with instantaneous death has always been annoying. If you want that, a contact blast from a 12 gauge slug will do that. If you want it to be pretty then give them barbiturates and then for the nitrogen mask on their face or something
It is a strong deterrent. The fact that bank robbers in this era refused to carry weapons on jobs is just one example of that. Naturally, there is a percentage of criminals who would commit evil acts regardless of whether capital punishment existed or not. I agree that CP should not be brought back, but I am for it in principle.
@@goodyeoman4534 I am also for it in principle but, if it is to be a deterrent, it should be public and televised as they do in Saudi Arabia. The other problem is the number of death row individuals who have been exonerated by DNA as well as the fact that there have probably been some innocent individuals executed. Capital punishment should never be the sentence in a circumstantial case. Even eyewitness testimony has been shown to be questionable Finally, a lot of so-called forensic evidence such as blood spatter analysis is also questionable and actually very subjective and pseudoscience.
Why should it be public? Other than for macabre entertainment? The DNA point is a bit of a moot point. I would only support the DP for cases where the evidence was water-tight. Like that teenager in that island of Scotland who murdered that little girl.
Timothy Spall is such an underrated actor.
Totally agree
I think he's pretty well rated. a number of awards nominated and won
This was over dramatized, Albert Pierrepoint knew him yes but sang along with anyone at his pub and this guy just happened to be another regular he occasionally he sang with, they weren't bosom buddies as portrayed and it was business as usual on the day.
If you read his biography though you will see that he did comfort the guy before execution. One thing about Pierrepoint is that he did at least claim to try to put people at their ease in a grim situation. He also felt it was imperative to kill instantly too so very careful with drops etc. If I had to be turned off i’d want someone like him doing it.
@@mattbod Even today, putting the prisoner at ease on the way to the execution is standard practice. A panicking inmate is more likely to struggle and fight, better to calm them and get them to accept the inevitable.
I read the bio and see what you are saying but I think it is believable and you need drama for a watchable movie. Albert Pierrepoint was pragmatic but not unfeeling, he did what was necessary and it was not an unreasonable request. The screenwriters made this event the focal point of the movie and it works well. It's true, this particular execution was little more than an anecdote, Pierrepoint knew him but not all that well and it didn't affect him emotionally. All the same, in his book, Pierrepoint's final words against capital punishment are among the best arguments I have read on the matter. "The trouble with the death sentence has always been that nobody wanted it for everybody, but everybody differed about who should get off" His biography is full of pithy sentences like these. It is so well written, the english so well constructed I have to wonder if he had a ghostwriter.
The correct figure for the executions carried out by Albert Pierrepoint between 1932 and 1955 is 433 plus one where he observed as part of his training .... Matthew:)
Two excellent British actors in a very moving scene.
I read that after the Nazi hangings Pierrepoint received an anonomyous letter every year for many years with a 5 pound note and a piece of paper with the word "Belsen" written on it.
Any idea who sent them?
I read that the Nuremburg hangings of Nazis were mostly botched.
@@TheEmeraldMenOfficial not a clue, but I'm betting he survived Belsen 🤷
@@Dasycottus Fair. I’d be sending a lot more than £5 tho if it were me
@@TheEmeraldMenOfficial A fiver was the lions share of a weeks wages back then. Probably £300 today.
Fiction - the only thing they got right was the prisoners first remark
A bit of trivia here.
Growing up in London in the 60s we all knew about hanging and hangman's knots like in the Westerns.
We thought that is the rope used.
My dad was a bell hanger for the Whitechapel bell Foundry, he installed bells known as hanging a bell and one day he had to buy some ropes for his truck and went to a firm in Bermondsey who made ropes, this would be in the mid to late 60s when hanging had finished in the UK.
One Sunday lunch time he told us about the visit and told me the made hangman's ropes and described how they didn't have coils but described them exactly like in the Peirrepoint film.
Apparently they still supplied them for export and remember the home office still either had them or bought them.
The last gallows was Wandsworth and it was tested every 6 months until 1992 it's on UA-cam.
Well fast forward to 1971 and I went to the Odeon Nottinghill gate with my sister and we saw 10 rillington place which is ironic because Rillington place was in Nottinghill.
The scene shows Evans being hung and for the first time I saw a real hangman's rope just as dad described.
Well dad is no longer and a few years ago I thought about where the firm was and sure enough if you google hangman's ropes Bermondsey you will find a firm John Eddington who was in Old Kent Road and there are pictures of 13ft long hangman's ropes after being made.
Well the film is a good film but there is a lot wrong.
The first hanging his mate who was also new threw up according the the film both of them were new, in reality Albert never did a hanging by himself until 1940 he was assistant to an experienced man.
I high recommended reading Peirrepoints book, I read it in 1975.
i think I have a curiousity with death as it is a mystery,even more so when you know the day the hour and the minute you will die.
I also curious how people involved feel be it Peirrepoint or even warders who sat and got to know someone for three weeks.
What impact does it have.
Also Peirrepoint hung Bentley who wasn't a murderer and Evans who was wrongly executed.
Yes you can argue you didn't convict them and sentence them but you are still volunteering to carry it out.
I think my conscience would overwhelm me.
You forget peirrepoint also hang ruth eills
@@F.Y.Rodyka I know he hung Ruth Ellis, sad really and she did murder David Blakely but the judge had no say in the penalty
@@Steven_Rowe ok then
I thought the ropes where made at Chatham.
Very interesting thanks for taking the time to pen this
Total nonsense. Pierrepoint had this execution done probably in under 15 seconds from entering thecell. he wouldnever have dreamed of dragging it out with long emotionalpausesasdepicted here.
Timothy Spall Brilliant actor. will always be Barry to me.
Albert Peirpoint was my Great Great Uncle
Surprise to hearing
God bless your uncle. He was a merciful man.
He was a good man
Pierrepoint wasn't the last hangman - in case nobody mentioned it previously.
Harry Allen and Robert Stewart were the last hangman in Britain . They carried out the last two executions in August 1964 .
But his spirit was there !
@@tabsntoot He had retired several years previously.
Yes I don’t understand why the film is called the last hangman when he wasn’t ?
We need to bring this back
This must have been AP's slowest hanging by far. lol
2:21 the tear running down his nose gives me the rest
I felt like I am the man who be hanged could felt the rest for entire.
Great scene 2 great actors..
Thank you for sharing ❤❤
Timothy Spall becomes whoever he represents in any film. He's brilliant.
Terrible sound, can hardly understand what they are saying
At least he got to see a familiar face on the way out.
Para quem gosta desse gênero de filme recomendo cordeiros e carrascos....muito bom filme
Timothy spall is one of the finest actors the U.K. has ever produced
Something wrong with this. In the narrow minded parochial life in Britain, don't you think that Albert on the rumour mill and gossip, would have known that his mate had killed that woman and had been convicted and sentenced to hang. Hell back in Britain you can't pee the bed without the whole community getting wind of it.
That must have been truly awful hanging his friend. I couldn't do it I know.
Uncle Albert ?
Which condemned man is depicted here ?
Ok. It appears below.
I’ve always wondered - executioners throughout the ages, some given due to experience others because of their blood lust - ever like this man, came face to face with having to put to death a friend or a family member and ever it was a coming to Jesus moment…that that person was the last person they killed and or it drove them to be quick and as painless as they could while fulfilling their duty.
Albert liked Long (Drop) Goodbyes.
That's not Albert xd That's Peter Pettigrew xd
@@LanceWilson8 I don't quite follow that. I read Pierrepoint's autobiography and he mentions that he hanged this Tish man (Corbett).
He didn't die for a broken neck He died of Not breathing
There's still a workings gallows in Devonport Naval Base in Plymouth, although, I think, not used since before the war.
The death penalty has been totally abolished for all crimes in the UK for several years.
It's bullshit. Pierrepoint had no 'best friend'. This was a man whose name he didn't even know, but whom he recognised as having sung in his pub. He said "Hello Tish" as Pierrepoint entered the cell, and Pierrepoint replied "Hello Tosh, how are you?". Then "Come on Tosh, old lad". But that was all. See Pierrepoint's book.
He seemed like a man who you could easily get on the wrong side of having lots of people sucking up to him every day he could be happy one minute and then something trivial would upset him like food being served that he didn’t like I read this again in syd dernleys book
One evening before a hanging they were served ham and cress for tea the cress being the most of the meal and pierrpoint threw a wobbly at the screw and said that’s grass I’m not eating this muck get us something proper or no job in the morning!
Artistic licence as the film industry call it can be annoying but yes Pierrepoints autobiography is a deffo must read, so informative as to the British method of execution and about the Master of his "Craft"
Quite right.And nolong pauses for emotion.
So the hangman is not a sinner?
This must of been painful for them both in real life as you can feel this for both of them. Great acting and actors 😊
Felt as sad as in The Green Mile…
He wasn't the last hangman Harry Allen was
Yeah,I knew that
He was the most merciful.
interesting fact,thier was an assistant who trained up with syd dernley called Harry Allen not ‘the Harry Allen and on one occasion he was assigned to assist the main Harry so on that hanging it was two Harry Allen’s !! The main Harry pulled the lever though. They both left for a pint afterwards , read that in dernleys book
@@tabsntoot yes he was an ice cream seller whom had to quit.
There were two 'last hangmen'. Of the 35 executions carried out in the UK and Jersey between 1957 and 1964, most were carried out by Harry Allen. However, where two executions had to be carried out at exactly the same time (as was the case for the last two pairs of executions), Robert Stewart (who had sometimes been Allen's assistant) was called in. This was the case for the two executions in 1963 (Pascoe and Whitty) and the last two of all in 1964 (Allen and Evans). Thereafter the incoming Labour Government commuted all death sentences in Britain until hanging was first suspended in 1965 and then finally abolished in 1969.
I read Pierrepoints autobiography, and the time between him entering the condemned cell and the drop going down was between eight and twenty seconds, depending usually on how far the gallows were from the condemned cell.
The gallows were a matter of feet away from the condemned cell. The entrance to the gallows was hidden behind a wardrobe in the condemned cell. The wardrobe had two wheels on one side, making it a swift job to lift the other side and push it aside, exposing an open entrance to the gallows. It was only a few feet away. Pierrepoint's quickest hanging only took 11 seconds from the time of the wardrobe being pushed aside. The execution was over almost before the condemned knew what was happening.
Amazing
Absolutely superb scene.
He seemed to have taken a long time to hang him. I thought it was done like a military operation. All over within a minute, or am I wrong?
A lot of this is artistic licence and also based on Pierrepoint's book 'Executioner' which is also full of fabricated incidents to make it juicer.
Talk about a bad day at the office
😮barbaric!
Great actor portrayal.
According to chat gpt, a dummy was used in the hanging scene
You don't say?
Over two minutes. Really?
That is fast 🤣
@@sigridbohne An eight o'clock hanging was normally over by 8:00:25 am, counting "over" as the drop and the severance of the spinal cord. This video is making Pierrepoint out to be a torturer.
So utterly poignant 😢
He was the fastest of all times
Not so…from the hood to the drop was about two seconds
It would have been a lot quicker than that in reality.
They would have difficulty doing that now under the Working at height regulations for the prison guards and the hangman. If they fell through the floor or the trap opened by mistake then could lead to serious or catastrophic injuries.
Where there's blame there's a claim!
Can't run the risk of a rope burn these days!! he should of been provided health and safety approved gloves, steel top tap boots, a high Viz and hard hat at the very least 😂
@@The.Watcher.On.The.Wall.UK.93 no none of that is necessary. It's not a building site. At the very least the trap door area should be barriered off to prevent any staff falling through it. The only one doing that would be the condemned.
Would that matter?
@@rossbrown6641 yes if a prison warder or the hangman fell it would cause a big problem and probably delay the hanging.
Why was ne smiling?
2:06 you hear the neck breaking sounds? 2-3thrd cervec....terrible
That's the sound of the rope. You wouldn't hear the dislocation.
@@vouvray59 nooo bone
Did the executed man suffer ? If that's so , for how long ?
few second if perfect
@@F.Y.Rodyka thanks for your gentle reply , Sir
@@alessandrodorsi9800 actually,long drop hanging is a combine of art and science. how long the condemn need to suffer depends on the skill of the hangman
Although it may be have a drop table.due to different people have different neck density which may made then need to drop longer or shorter.That made hangman craft still is essential for a perfect long drop hanging.(or maybe the condemn need to suffer more than an hour)
It's hard to be sure. Remember when a doctor or dentist said to you, this won't hurt a bit and then it hurt like hell.
If the drop and the noose were correct, the condemned were instantly unconscious, feeling no pain. Death would follow in a matter of seconds.
Pierrepont was a sadic man. He liked his job
Yea he did. Nothing to be ashamed of in that case. Was the murdering scumbags sadistic too!
If you mean sadistic, then no, he wasn't. That's one reason why he gave it up.
Is this on Netflix?
Rqy Donovan wont be happy
The hangman movie. I have the book
0:51 Peter Pettigrew ? xd
Pierrepoint good job AGAINST Nazis
So this is what pettegrow became after voldemort's death
Grow up
He played a character in real life known for his merciful nature in his quick kills and care with the bodies after their death. Deeming their sins redeemed in their death, he even ordered their body to be buried properly in a coffin fitted to their size and weight. As executioners go, he was certainly the best. If I had to choose who would execute me, I would ask for him. God forbid I ever have to though.
I wouldn’t do that Job for Millions that has to Effect your mind, and then after passing over answer God.
Perhpas God can answer for all the people he killed as well, think of the Great Flood and the first Born in Egypt to name a few? That of course is if you believe in the imaginery friend in the sky!
Zeitfür Strick. ..
Isn’t the guy with handcuffs the rat in Harry Potter ?
i don't know
Yes
Yes Peter Pettigrew. His name is Timothy Spall and he’s been in many brilliant films not just Harry Potter series.
He also played Winston Churchill in "The King's speech"
You forgot he was the Beadle from Sweeney Todd, and the journalist from The Last Samurai.
A los Chabestias también....
hey that guy was in the world's end
Yes, he was Eddie Marsan is his name. He was also in a film called "Filth" with James MacAvoy.
Bring it Back..
YES,YES,YES!
For you 😉
Who? For you, matey?
Very bad punishment
Follow me lad , It'll be alright !
Nowt to worry about laddie. Do you remember when you used to drop into the Poor Struggler. Well it'll be just like that.
Al tekk care of yer lad nowt to it !
No prayers my goodness! @ all:Please accept JESUS CHRIST as your Lord and Savior while you can!!!
👍👍👍 ❤
What a nonsense film ,Pierrepont was cold as ice and never shown any emotion in a hanging .The film portrays all wrong to the point its embarrassing.
It is of course fiction. Though not a little licence was taken by the filmmakers.
The good news was he had a friend there with him at the end. Even if the friend was the executioner.
Discussed
It Bothered him at The end of his Career,
The last Hang Man.
There's a comic saying in NZ about an oddball: 'He's a bit of a hangman!'
Just turning people off.. and good riddance.
He looks like Vladimir Putin 😮😮😮
ого, и тут Путина упоминают...
hanging system in japan is very psychologicaly organized.every minute procedure is carefully and systematicaly done.
Was in uk. Very organised actually 7 seconds in one instance
That’s seven seconds from entering the cell to the man being dead with a destroyed spine
But the Japanese system takes far too long.
The Japs certainly know how to kill. Remember World War II, and Pearl Harbor!
Barnesville Monroe central football
Que escena wow
"I'll look after you".
Hangman to a man he's about to hang. The very epitome of oxymoron.
Yes and no.
The man's going to die either way. Pierrepoint was a consummate professional who put great effort into minimizing suffering and giving the condemned their dignity.
Would you rather have that, or a botched execution?
@@Dasycottus
Your assumption that I could imagine myself hanging people, watching their last moment's despair, fear and hopelessness, and allowing a thought that in some cases you might be killing innocent people like in case of a young woman who was sentenced to death because her lover stabbed her husband. And then hearing their neck breaking, bringing them up and see the fruit of your trade right before you, and living with the fact that you took someone's life and then leave many people with their immense pain of loss.
And on top of it all most likely being haunted by those whom you killed, which is a very well recorded phenomenon too.
So no, I cannot imagine myself doing any of this, let alone proceeding with hanging nuances that you want to discuss here.
@@Phoenix_cataclysm_in_2040 isn't the whole idea of cinema to try and empathize with the characters? I don't think I could hang somebody either.
There's a reason Pierrepoint himself concluded that capital punishment wasn't worth it.
@@Dasycottus
Indeed. Portraying this guy as kind, well-adjusted, basically normal bloke that you would hang out with and have a giggle over pint or two in the pub down the road is truly bizzare. Anything but.
That's not an oxymoron.
2:04 "Off ya go now!" (laugh track)
i don't think somebody death worth a laugh
@@F.Y.Rodyka laugh tracks were terrible which is my point
@@fattymcfatso1083 now ok then
@@F.Y.Rodyka 👍
Capital punishment should be reinstated why should the tax payers pay for them in prison
If it get wrong
@@F.Y.Rodyka If and ONLY if there is evidence beyond any doubt. Not 'reasonable' doubt, but ANY doubt.
Lot of iffy cases back in 50s especially so yea even the most tiny scrap of doubt of even hear say should be a no no. People like Huntley and whiting would be a good start
What if someone is executed and later there is irrefutable proof that they were actually innocent? You can't simply say, "sorry, we made a mistake..."
Total rubbish, wanker!
How sad
Could do with this being brought back in to empty the prisons of the mountain of scum building up behind bars.
Yep Huntley whiting ussons and the rest of that flotsam and jetsam for the first batch
Golly, what genuinely NICE bloke!