Mask of Dust | |
---|---|
Directed by | Terence Fisher |
Written by | Paul Tabori Richard H. Landau |
Based on | The Last Race by Jon Manchip White |
Starring | Richard Conte Mari Aldon Peter Illing |
Cinematography | Walter J. Harvey |
Edited by | Bill Lenny |
Music by | Leonard Salzedo |
Production company | |
Distributed by | Exclusive Films Lippert Pictures (US) |
Release date |
|
Running time | 79 minutes |
Country | United Kingdom |
Language | English |
Mask of Dust is a 1954 British second feature [1] motor racing drama film directed by Terence Fisher and starring Richard Conte, Mari Aldon and Peter Illing. [2] It was based on the 1953 novel The Last Race by Jon Manchip White. It was released in the United States by Lippert Pictures as A Race for Life.
A freestyle racing driver must choose between his love for racing, and his wife. His friend's accident will help him to choose, and his loyal ways will get him a new friend – his main rival.
The film was produced by Hammer Films at the company's Bray Studios, with sets designed by the art director J. Elder Wills.
Monthly Film Bulletin said "Skilful use of newsreel material in the actual racing sequences raises this routine story slightly above the average. Shots of racing at Crystal Palace, Silverstone and Le Mans are effectively put together, giving some excitement and realism to this part of the film. In contrast, the familiar squabbles and domestic difficulties of Wells and his wife take on a decidely hollow look. The playing on the whole is adequate, but the cast sems resigned to the fact that the cars are the real stars" [3]
In British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959 David Quinlan rated the film as "average", writing: "Servicable drama with well-integrated racing sequences." [4]
The Radio Times Guide to Films gave the film 1/5 stars, writing: "Hammer's American partner imposed a Hollywood scriptwriter and sent over not one, but two minor US stars for this cheap action drama. British racing drivers such as Stirling Moss appear as themselves and double for lead Richard Conte and other players in this cliché-ridden tale. The intercut footage of real races shows up the artificiality." [5]
Sir Stirling Craufurd Moss was a British Formula One driver. An inductee into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, he won 212 of the 529 races he entered across several different motorsports competitions and has been described as "the greatest driver never to win the Formula One World Championship". In a seven-year span between 1955 and 1961 Moss finished in second place four times and in third place three times.
Nicholas Peter Conte, known professionally as Richard Conte, was an American actor. He appeared in more than 100 films from 1939 through the 1970s, including I'll Cry Tomorrow, Ocean's 11, and The Godfather.
The 1961 Formula One season was the 15th season of Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1961 World Championship of Drivers and the 1961 International Cup for F1 Manufacturers, which were contested concurrently from 14 May to 8 October over an eight race series. The season also included numerous non-championship races for Formula One cars.
Leslie George Johnson was a British racing driver who competed in rallies, hill climbs, sports car races and Grand Prix races.
English Racing Automobiles (ERA) was a British racing car manufacturer active from 1933 to 1954.
British Racing Partnership (BRP) was a racing team, and latterly constructor, from the United Kingdom. It was established by Alfred Moss and Ken Gregory – Stirling Moss's father and former manager, respectively – in 1957 to run cars for Stirling, when not under contract with other firms, along with other up-and-coming drivers.
Peter Douglas Conyers Walker was an English racing driver. He was born in Huby, Yorkshire and died in Newtown, Worcestershire. He proved a strong driver in most disciplines, but was most adept in sports cars, winning the 1951 24 Hours of Le Mans race, and the Goodwood Nine-Hours in 1955. He effectively retired after a crash in 1956 left him with serious injuries.
Stolen Face is a 1952 British film noir directed by Terence Fisher and starring Paul Henreid, Lizabeth Scott and André Morell. A plastic surgeon falls in love with a pianist, but she is engaged to someone else, so he remodels the face of ex-convict to resemble the pianist, and marries her.
The Last Page, released in the United States as Man Bait, is a 1952 British film noir directed by Terence Fisher, starring George Brent, Marguerite Chapman and Diana Dors. The film was also known as Murder in Safety and Blonde Blackmail.
The Cooper T51 was a Formula One and Formula Two racing car designed by Owen Maddock and built by the Cooper Car Company for the 1959 Formula One season. The T51 earned a significant place in motor racing history when Jack Brabham drove the car to become the first driver to win the World Championship of Drivers with an engine mounted behind them, in 1959. The T51 was raced in several configurations by various entrants until 1963 and in all no less than 38 drivers were entered to drive T51s in Grand Prix races.
A Tale of Five Cities is a 1951 British-Italian international co-production comedy drama film directed by Romolo Marcellini, Emil E. Reinert, Wolfgang Staudte, Montgomery Tully, Irma von Cube and Géza von Cziffra. The five cities cited in the title are: Rome, Paris, Berlin, London, and Vienna.
The 1956 Australian Grand Prix was a motor race for Formula Libre cars held at Albert Park Street Circuit, in Victoria, Australia on 2 December 1956. The race, which had 22 starters, was held over 80 laps of the five kilometre circuit, the longest of all the Australian Grands Prix at 402 kilometres. It attracted a crowd of over 120,000 spectators.
Manuela is a 1957 British drama film directed by Guy Hamilton, starring Trevor Howard and Elsa Martinelli. It was released as Stowaway Girl in the United States.
Home to Danger is a 1951 British second feature film noir crime film directed by Terence Fisher starring Guy Rolfe, Rona Anderson and Stanley Baker.
Just My Luck is a 1957 British sports comedy film directed by John Paddy Carstairs and starring Norman Wisdom, Margaret Rutherford, Jill Dixon and Leslie Phillips.
Little Red Monkey is a 1955 British thriller film directed by Ken Hughes and starring Richard Conte, Rona Anderson and Russell Napier. Detectives from Scotland Yard investigate a series of murders of leading nuclear scientists, and are intrigued by strange reports received about the crimes. The film was released in the United States by Allied Artists as TheCase of the Red Monkey.
Mari Aldon was a Lithuanian-born American actress.
The Day the Bookies Wept is a 1939 American comedy film directed by Leslie Goodwins and written by Bert Granet and George Jeske. The film stars Joe Penner, Betty Grable, Richard Lane, Tom Kennedy and Thurston Hall. The film was released on September 15, 1939, by RKO Pictures.
Mrs. Pym of Scotland Yard is a 1939 British comedy-drama film directed by Fred Elles starring Mary Clare in her only title role and Nigel Patrick in his film debut. It is based on the Mrs Pym novels by Nigel Morland, and written by Morland, who re-used the title for a 1946 book.
The 1st International Gold Cup was a non-championship Formula One motor race held on 7 August 1954 at the Oulton Park Circuit, Cheshire. The race was run over 36 laps of the circuit, and was won by British driver Stirling Moss in a Maserati 250F. Reg Parnell was second in a Ferrari and Bob Gerard, who qualified on pole, third in his Cooper-Bristol.