Seven Days to Noon
| Seven Days to Noon | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by |
John Boulting Roy Boulting |
| Produced by |
John Boulting Roy Boulting |
| Written by |
James Bernard Roy Boulting Paul Dehn Frank Harvey |
| Starring | Barry Jones |
| Music by | John Addison |
| Cinematography | Gilbert Taylor |
| Edited by |
John Boulting Roy Boulting |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | British Lion Films (UK) |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 94 min. |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Seven Days to Noon is a 1950 British drama / thriller film directed by John Boulting and Roy Boulting. Based on the book, "Un Nazi en Manhattan", written by Fernando Josseau. Paul Dehn and James Bernard won the Academy Award for Best Story for this film and they never give the credits to Josseau for the story.
Plot
In the early 1950s, the British Prime Minister (Ronald Adam) is sent a letter by Professor Willingdon (Barry Jones), who works at Britain's atomic weapons development facility, the (fictitious) Wallingford Research Centre, from which he has surreptitiously taken a nuclear warhead. It is a very explicit threat that Willingdon will destroy the centre of London in a week's time, at noon (hence the film title), unless the British government declares that it is to stop all stockpiling of nuclear warheads. Detective Superintendent Folland (André Morell) of Scotland Yard's Special Branch is charged with tracking down Willingdon and stopping him.
Arriving at the Wallingford Research Centre (based on the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment {AWRE} at Aldermaston), Folland's team find Willingdon missing, along with a nuclear bomb. Willingdon's assistant Lane (Hugh Cross) is recruited to help and they return to London to search for him.
Willingdon, carrying his bomb in a Gladstone bag, finds lodgings with Mrs Peckitt (Joan Hickson), but spooks her with his constant pacing around his room during the night. The following morning, he leaves early and, seeing a 'wanted' poster with his face, disguises himself with a new coat and having his moustache shaved off.
Folland's team plan for the worst and get Cabinet approval to evacuate London. Rumours begin to fly that another war is about to be declared, and the Prime Minister agrees to do a radio broadcast to try to quash these, and appeal to Willingdon to give himself up.
The next day, Willingdon's daughter Ann (Sheila Manahan) turns up at Folland's office to demand some answers. Folland tells her all and asks her to stay and help – she may be the only person the professor will listen to.
Mrs Peckitt reports Willingdon to the police, thinking that he is a 'landlady murderer' reported in the paper, but a quick-thinking constable realises the description better matches Willingdon and a car is sent to check him.
Unfortunately, Willingdon spots it on his way back to his lodgings and makes a quiet getaway. Driving back to their hotel from the police operations centre, Lane and Ann Willingdon spot the professor but fail to catch him. An updated description is quickly circulated.
That evening Willingdon bumps into 'Mrs' "Goldie" Phillips (Olive Sloane); she invites him to buy her a drink, the two of them having met, by chance, earlier at a pawn brokers. As he has no lodgings, Goldie offers him her 'spare' bed for the night. By this time, London is being evacuated and Willingdon decides to lie low. The troops have begun to search and Goldie's bedsit seems a good place to remain hidden. Willingdon is forced to hold Goldie hostage, fearing that if he doesn't, she will inform the authorities of his location.
The streets cleared, Willingdon makes his escape and finds his final refuge, a bomb blitzed church. The net steadily closes and Willingdon is finally found, praying. Lane, Ann and Folland arrive to try to talk the professor away from his bag. He panics, runs from the church, and is killed by an even more panicking soldier (Victor Maddern). With seconds to spare, Lane has the bomb defused.
Main cast
- Barry Jones as Professor John Malcolm Francis Willingdon
- Olive Sloane as Goldie Phillips
- André Morell as Superintendent Folland
- Sheila Manahan as Ann Willingdon
- Hugh Cross as Stephen 'Steve' Lane
- Joan Hickson as Mrs. Emily Georgina Peckett
- Ronald Adam as Honorable Arthur Lytton, the Prime Minister
- Marie Ney as Mrs. Willingdon
- Wyndham Goldie as Reverend Burgess, the vicar of Wallingford
- Russell Waters as Detective Davis
- Martin Boddey as General Willoughby
- Frederick Allen as Himself, a BBC announcer
- Victor Maddern as Private Jackson
- Geoffrey Keen as Alf, loudmouth in the pub
- Merrill Mueller as the American commentator
- Joss Ackland as Young policeman at the police station (uncredited)
- Jean Anderson as Mother at Railway Station (uncredited)
- Ernest Clark as Barber (uncredited)
- Sam Kydd as Soldier in House Search (uncredited)
- Bruce Seton as Brigadier Grant (uncredited)
- Marianne Stone as Woman in Phone Box (uncredited)
- Ian Wilson as Sandwich-Board Man (uncredited)
Reception
The film performed reasonably well at the box office.[1]
Awards
The movie received an Academy Award (Oscar) for 'Writing (Motion Picture Story)' at the 24th Academy Awards held in 1952 at the RKO Pantages Theatre.[2]
DVD release
Seven Days to Noon became available on DVD in 2008. It is incorrectly framed in matted widescreen, a process not developed until two years later.
References
Notes
- ↑ Robert Murphy, Realism and Tinsel: Cinema and Society in Britain 1939-48 2003 p 212
- ↑ "WRITING (MOTION PICTURE STORY)". THE 24TH ACADEMY AWARDS – 1952. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. March 20, 1952. Retrieved October 21, 2014.
Bibliography
- The Great British Films, pp 144–146, Jerry Vermilye, 1978, Citadel Press, ISBN 0-8065-0661-X
External links
- Seven Days to Noon in the British Film Institute's "Explore film..." database
- Seven Days to Noon at the Internet Movie Database
- Seven Days to Noon at AllMovie
- Seven Days to Noon at the TCM Movie Database
- Seven Days to Noon at Rotten Tomatoes