Escape by Night is a 1953 British crime film directed and written by John Gilling.^[1][2]

Tom Buchan (Colleano) is an alcoholic journalist whose once memorable work has been destroyed by his constant drunken antics that have cost him his future. Buchan boasts to his colleagues that they report news, whilst he makes it. He sees a chance for redemption by getting the life story of Gino Rossi (James), an Italian crime boss on the run. He wins Rossi's confidence by tipping him off to the police coming to arrest them (after Buchan himself tipped off the police).

The highly suspicious Rossi promises Buchan the rights to his life story as they hide out in an abandoned theatre in return for Buchan, a former pilot, flying him to Italy. Through his nightclub singer girlfriend Rosetta, Rossi becomes suspicious that his brother Guillio plans to take over his gang. They are discovered by a young boy playing games by himself in the theatre; Buchan tells the boy they are Secret Service Agents and enlists the child as a junior secret agent to bring them food and supplies and to deliver Buchan's stories to his editor and messages to Rosetta.

Due to Buchan's disappearance his editor places a £500 reward in the media for news of the two men.

• Bonar Colleano .....Tom Buchan
• Andrew Ray .....Joey Weston
• Sid James .....Gino Rossi
• Ted Ray .....Mr. Weston
• Simone Silva .....Rosetta Mantania
• Patrick Barr .....Inspector Frampton
• Peter Sinclair .....MacNaughton
• Avice Landone .....Mrs. Weston
• Ronald Adam .....Tallboy
• Eric Berry .....Con Blair
• Martin Benson .....Guillio
• Ronan O'Casey .....Pietro
• Michael Balfour....Reporter (uncredited)
• Harry Towb ....Reporter (uncredited)

TV Guide wrote that the "Plot moves fast enough to make viewers forget the plot holes."^[3]