Date with Disaster

1957 British film by Charles Saunders

Date with Disaster

Directed by| Charles Saunders
Written by| Brock Williams
Produced by| Guido Coen
Starring| Tom Drake
William Hartnell
Shirley Eaton
Cinematography| Brendan J. Stafford
Edited by| Tom 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
Country| United Kingdom
Language| English

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

* 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

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

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.

## External links

[edit]

* Date with Disaster at IMDb
* Date with Disaster at ReelStreets

* v
* t
* e

Films by Charles Saunders

Feature films|

| Director|

* No Exit (1930)
* Everything Is Thunder (1936)
* Tawny Pipit (1944) (co-director, Bernard Miles)
* The Way to the Stars (1945, director of Second Unit)
* The White Unicorn (1947, location director)
* Fly Away Peter (1948)
* Trouble in the Air (1948)
* Your Witness (1950, assistant to director)
* Dark Interval (1950)
* Chelsea Story (1951)
* One Wild Oat (1951)
* Death of an Angel (1952)
* Blind Man's Bluff (1952)
* Come Back Peter (1952)
* Black Orchid (1953)
* Love in Pawn (1953)
* The Scarlet Web (1954)
* The Golden Link (1954)
* Meet Mr. Callaghan (1954)
* One Jump Ahead (1955)
* The Hornet's Nest (1955)
* A Time to Kill (1955)
* The Narrowing Circle (1956)
* Behind the Headlines (1956)
* Find the Lady (1956)
* Murder Reported (1957)
* There's Always a Thursday (1957)
* The Man Without a Body (1957)
* Date with Disaster (1957)
* Kill Her Gently (1957)
* The End of the Line (1957)
* Womaneater (1958)
* Nudist Paradise (1958)
* Naked Fury (1959)
* Strictly Confidential (1959)
* Operation Cupid (1959)
* The Gentle Trap (1960)
* Dangerous Afternoon (1961)
* Jungle Street (1961)
* Danger by My Side (1963)

|

Editor|

* Enter the Queen (1930)
* Bill's Legacy (1931)
* Immediate Possession (1931)
* Peace and Quiet (1931)
* We dine at Seven (1931)
* Detective Lloyd (1931)
* The Wrong Mr. Perkins (1931)
* The Guv'nor (1935)
* O.H.M.S. (1937)
* Take My Tip (1937)
* The Gaunt Stranger (1938)
* Sweet Devil (1938)
* The Ware Case (1938)
* The Four Just Men (1939)
* Young Man's Fancy (1939)
* Return to Yesterday (1940)
* Alibi (1942, supervising editor)
* The Gentle Sex (1943)

Cutter|

* Cottage to Let (1941)
* I Thank You (1941)
* Hi Gang! (1941)
* Back-Room Boy (1942)
* We Dive at Dawn (1943)

Script writer|

* Tawny Pipit (1944)
* Come Back Peter (1952)

Television|

* Douglas Fairbanks Jr. Presents (8 episodes) (1953–1954)
* Fabian of the Yard (10 episodes) (1953–1956)
* Adventures of the Big Man (9 episodes) (1956)

Family|

* Peter Saunders (impresario)

Portals:

* 1950s
* Film
* London

This article related to a British film of the 1950s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

|

* v
* t
* e

This 1950s crime film-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

|

* v
* t
* e

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template