Date with Disaster

Last updated

Date with Disaster
Date with Disaster.jpg
Directed by Charles Saunders
Written by Brock Williams
Produced by Guido Coen
Starring Tom Drake
William Hartnell
Shirley Eaton
Cinematography Brendan J. Stafford
Edited byTom Simpson
Music by Reg Owen
Anthony Spurgin
Production
company
Fortress Film Productions
Distributed by Eros Films
Astor Picture (US)
Release date
  • 18 July 1957 (1957-07-18)
Running time
61 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

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.

Contents

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

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]

Related Research Articles

<i>Carry On Sergeant</i> 1958 British comedy film by Gerald Thomas

Carry On Sergeant is a 1958 British comedy film about national service starring William Hartnell, Bob Monkhouse and Eric Barker; it is the first in the series of Carry On films, with 31 entries released from 1958 to 1992. The film was based on a play The Bull Boys by R. F. Delderfield and was adapted into a script by Norman Hudis with John Antrobus contributing additional material and replacing the conscripted ballet dancers of the novel with a married couple. It was directed by Gerald Thomas and produced by Peter Rogers, a partnership which would last until 1978. Actors in this film, who went on to be part of the regular team in the series, were Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Hattie Jacques, Kenneth Connor and Terry Scott. The film was followed by Carry On Nurse 1959.

<i>Temptation Harbour</i> 1947 British film by Lance Comfort

Temptation Harbour is a 1947 British black and white crime/drama film, directed by Lance Comfort and starring Robert Newton, Simone Simon and William Hartnell. It was adapted by Rodney Ackland and Frederick Gotfurt from Newhaven-Dieppe, the 1933 novella by Georges Simenon.

<i>Stormy Crossing</i> 1958 British film by C. M. Pennington-Richards

Stormy Crossing is a 1958 British crime, drama, thriller, mystery film directed by C. M. Pennington-Richards and starring John Ireland, Derek Bond, Leslie Dwyer, and Maureen Connell.

<i>Double Confession</i> 1950 British film by Ken Annakin

Double Confession is a 1950 British crime film directed by Ken Annakin and starring Derek Farr, Joan Hopkins, William Hartnell and Peter Lorre. The screenplay by William Templeton is based on the 1949 novel All On A Summer's Day by H.L.V. Fletcher.

<i>The Ringer</i> (1952 film) 1952 British film by Guy Hamilton

The Ringer is a 1952 British mystery film directed by Guy Hamilton and starring Herbert Lom, Donald Wolfit, Mai Zetterling, Greta Gynt, William Hartnell, and Denholm Elliott. The screenplay was by Lesley Storm and Val Valentine. It was Hamilton's directorial debut and the third English-language sound version of Edgar Wallace's 1929 play based on his 1925 novel The Gaunt Stranger. The previous adaptations were in 1928 (silent), 1931, 1932 (Germany-Austria), and 1938.

<i>Will Any Gentleman...?</i> 1953 British film by Michael Anderson

Will Any Gentleman...?, also known as Reluctant Casanova, is a 1953 British comedy film directed by Michael Anderson and starring George Cole, Veronica Hurst, Heather Thatcher, Jon Pertwee, and William Hartnell. It was written by Vernon Sylvaine based on his 1950 play Will Any Gentleman...?. It was the first of five movies Anderson made for ABPC and was reasonably successful at the box office.

<i>The Girl in the Picture</i> (1957 film) 1957 British film by Don Chaffey

The Girl in the Picture is a 1957 British second feature crime film directed by Don Chaffey and starring Donald Houston and Patrick Holt.

<i>Three Men in a Boat</i> (1956 film) 1956 British film by Ken Annakin

Three Men in a Boat is a 1956 British CinemaScope colour comedy film directed by Ken Annakin, starring Laurence Harvey, Jimmy Edwards, David Tomlinson and Shirley Eaton. It was written by Hubert Gregg and Vernon Harris based on the 1889 novel of the same name by Jerome K. Jerome.

<i>Doctor at Large</i> (film) 1957 British film by Ralph Thomas

Doctor at Large is a 1957 British comedy film directed by Ralph Thomas starring Dirk Bogarde, Muriel Pavlow, Donald Sinden, James Robertson Justice and Shirley Eaton. It is the third of the seven films in the Doctor series, and is based on the 1955 novel of the same title by Richard Gordon.

<i>Dancing with Crime</i> 1947 British film by John Paddy Carstairs

Dancing with Crime is a 1947 British film noir film directed by John Paddy Carstairs, starring Richard Attenborough, Barry K. Barnes and Sheila Sim. A man hunts down the killer of his lifelong friend.

<i>Kill Me Tomorrow</i> 1957 British film by Terence Fisher

Kill Me Tomorrow is a 1957 British crime film directed by Terence Fisher starring Pat O'Brien and Lois Maxwell. It was made by Tempean Films at Southall Studios in West London.

<i>The Secret Place</i> (film) 1957 British film by Clive Donner

The Secret Place is a 1957 British crime film that was the directorial debut of Clive Donner. It stars Belinda Lee, Ronald Lewis, and David McCallum.

The Secret Tent is a 1956 crime film directed by Don Chaffey. It stars Donald Gray and Andrée Melly and was made at Shepperton Studios.

<i>Man from Tangier</i> 1957 British film by Lance Comfort

Man from Tangier is a 1957 British second feature crime film directed by Lance Comfort and starring Robert Hutton, Lisa Gastoni and Martin Benson. It was written by Paddy Manning O'Brine.

<i>The End of the Line</i> (1957 film) 1957 British film by Charles Saunders

The End of the Line is a 1957 British second feature crime film directed by Charles Saunders and starring Alan Baxter, Barbara Shelley, Ferdy Mayne and Jennifer Jayne. The screenplay was by Paul Erickson. It was released in the USA in 1959.

<i>In the Wake of a Stranger</i> 1959 British film by David Eady

In the Wake of a Stranger is a 1959 British thriller film directed by David Eady and starring Tony Wright, Shirley Eaton and Danny Green. It is based on the 1959 novel of the same name by Ian Stuart Black.

<i>The Hypnotist</i> (1957 film) 1957 British film by Montgomery Tully

The Hypnotist is a 1957 British thriller film directed and written by Montgomery Tully and starring Paul Carpenter, Patricia Roc and Roland Culver. It is based on a 1956 play by Falkland Cary. A hypnotist has grown sick of his wife and attempts to convince one of his patients to murder her.

<i>You Pay Your Money</i> 1957 British film by Maclean Rogers

You Pay Your Money is a 1957 British 'B' crime drama film directed by Maclean Rogers and starring Hugh McDermott, Jane Hylton and Honor Blackman. It was written by Michael Cronin and Rogers.

<i>The Diplomatic Corpse</i> 1958 British film by Montgomery Tully

The Diplomatic Corpse is a 1958 British second feature comedy thriller film directed by Montgomery Tully and starring Robin Bailey, Susan Shaw and Liam Redmond. It was produced by ACT Films.

<i>Rogues Yarn</i> 1957 British film by Vernon Sewell

Rogue's Yarn is a 1957 British second feature crime drama film directed by Vernon Sewell and starring Nicole Maurey, Derek Bond and Elwyn Brook-Jones. It was written by Sewell and Ernle Bradford, and distributed by the independent Eros Films.

References

  1. ""Date with Disaster"". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  2. ""Date with Disaster"". Monthly Film Bulletin . 24 (276): 114. 1 January 1957 via ProQuest.
  3. Quinlan, David (1984). British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959. London: B.T. Batsford Ltd. p. 299. ISBN   0-7134-1874-5.
  4. "Date with Disaster". The Cinema : 14. 16 July 1957.