Date with Disaster
1957 British film by Charles Saunders
- 18 July 1957 (1957-07-18)
Running time
Date with Disaster is a 1957 British crime film directed by Charles Saunders and starring Tom Drake, William Hartnell and Shirley Eaton.[1] An innocent man becomes a suspect for a crime he did not commit.
Plot
Miles is a young honest car salesman, but his business partners Don and Ken are crooks. While Miles is away, Don and Ken collude with professional criminal Tracey to break into a factory and steal £20,000, using as their getaway vehicle a car they have ''sold'' to a fictitious buyer. Since Miles said he was away when the raid took place, the police suspect him as the perpetrator. Ken murders Don for his share of the loot, and kidnaps Miles's girlfriend Sue. Miles rescues Sue and clears his name.
Cast
- Tom Drake as Miles
- William Hartnell as Tracey
- Shirley Eaton as Sue
- Maurice Kaufmann as Don
- Michael Golden as Inspector Matthews
- Richard Shaw as Ken
- Charles Brodie as Charlie
- Deidre Mayne as Judy
- Peter Fontaine as Sergeant Brace
- Robert Robinson as young man
- John Drake as Constable Wilson
- Robert J. Mooney as Sergeant
- Van Boolen as night watchman
Production
The film was made at Southall Studios in London. Location shooting took place around Southall and Chiswick. The film's sets were designed by the art director Herbert Smith.[citation needed]
Critical reception
Monthly Film Bulletin said "A stereotypical and unremarkable small-scale thriller, with performances and direction adequate for the matter in hand."[2]
In British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959 David Quinlan rated the film as "mediocre", writing: "Follows a well-worn path."[3]
The Cinema described it as "a very useful co-feature ... capable direction and well-handled suspense."[4]
References
- ^ ""Date with Disaster"". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
- ^ ""Date with Disaster"". Monthly Film Bulletin. 24 (276): 114. 1 January 1957 – via ProQuest.
- ^ Quinlan, David (1984). British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959. London: B.T. Batsford Ltd. p. 299. ISBN 0-7134-1874-5.
- ^ "Date with Disaster". The Cinema: 14. 16 July 1957.
External links
- Date with Disaster at IMDb
- Date with Disaster at ReelStreets
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Films by Charles Saunders
| Director |
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|---|---|
| Editor |
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| Cutter |
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| Script writer |
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- Douglas Fairbanks Jr. Presents (8 episodes) (1953–1954)
- Fabian of the Yard (10 episodes) (1953–1956)
- Adventures of the Big Man (9 episodes) (1956)
- Peter Saunders (impresario)
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