The Firechasers

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The Firechasers
"The Firechasers" (1971).jpg
British quad poster by Brian Bysouth
Directed by Sidney Hayers
Written by Philip Levene
Produced by Julian Wintle
Starring Chad Everett
Anjanette Comer
Cinematography Alan Hume
Edited byLionel Selwyn
Music by Laurie Johnson
Production
company
ITC
Distributed by Rank Film Distributors (UK)
Release date
  • 3 June 1971 (1971-06-03)(UK)
Running time
101 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

The Firechasers (also known as Cause for Alarm) is a 1971 British crime film directed by Sidney Hayers and starring Chad Everett, Anjanette Comer, and Keith Barron. [1] [2] [3] It was written by Philip Levene.

Contents

An insurance investigator tries to find out who is behind a series of arson attacks.

The character Quentin Barnaby also appeared, played by Robert Beatty, in the BBC radio series Destination – Fire! (1962–1966) written by Levene. [4]

Plot

While investigating the cause of a series of lethal fires in London, U.S. insurance man Quentin Barnaby falls in love with beautiful journalist Toby Collins. Working alongside and pooling information with Collins and her photographer, Jim Maxwell, Barnaby hopes they share a common goal, that of "firechasing" the identity of the arsonist responsible.

Cast

Production

The film was shot at Pinewood Studios. [5]

Reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "A straightforward thriller, presumably made with the American TV market in mind. (Its director, Sidney Hayers, made several episodes of The Human Jungle and The Avengers for ITC.) The emphasis is on action and the photogenic qualities of the fires; but while these are mounted with due dramatic flair, the performances are generally wooden, though Keith Barron does manage to invest an unlikely role with some bite. But the only time The Firechasers really rises above its romanticised world of highpowered journalists and insurance detectives is in the presentation of the mechanics of fire fighting, especially in the climactic fire in a large department store, with the heroine trapped in a lift between floors, fire above and below, and water spraying in on her from the ceiling sprinklers." [6]

Kine Weekly wrote: "Straightforward who-dunnit, this has some exciting fire scenes and a tense climax. ... The mystery of who is responsible for the outbreaks is reasonably well kept amidst the usual crop of red herrings and, since this is primarily an action story, it does not matter so much that the characters are superficial." [7]

TV Guide gave the film 1/5 stars, calling it "so-so entertainment." [8]

In the Radio Times Tony Sloman wrote, "Director Sidney Hayers keeps up the pace as unlikely insurance investigator Everett hunts an arsonist throughout a London peopled with well-known British character actors." [9]

References

  1. ↑ "The Firechasers". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
  2. ↑ "'The Firechasers' (1970)". BFI. Archived from the original on 14 January 2009.
  3. ↑ Vagg, Stephen (22 August 2025). "Forgotten British Film Studios: The Rank Organisation 1968-1977". Filmink. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  4. ↑ "Destination – Fire!". BBC Programme Index. Retrieved 12 October 2025.
  5. ↑ "'The Firechasers' – Pinewood filming location". Pinewood. Archived from the original on 25 June 2016.
  6. ↑ "The Firechasers". The Monthly Film Bulletin . 38 (444): 141. 1 January 1971. ProQuest   1305827786.
  7. ↑ "The Firechasers". Kine Weekly . 647 (3320): 8. 29 May 1971. ProQuest   2600876143.
  8. ↑ "The Firechasers". TV Guide. Archived from the original on 28 August 2016.
  9. ↑ Sloman, Tony. "'The Firechasers' – Film from RadioTimes". Archived from the original on 12 August 2016.
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