| Appointment in London | |
|---|---|
Appointment in London DVD cover |
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| Directed by | Philip Leacock |
| Produced by | Aubrey Baring Maxwell Setton |
| Written by | John Wooldridge (story) John Wooldridge Robert Westerby |
| Starring | Dirk Bogarde Ian Hunter Dinah Sheridan |
| Music by | John Wooldridge |
| Cinematography | Stephen Dade |
| Editing by | V. Sagovsky |
| Distributed by | British Lion Film Corporation Ltd |
| Release date(s) | 1952 |
| Running time | 96 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Appointment in London (known as Raiders in the Sky in the US) is a 1952 war film starring Dirk Bogarde and set during World War II. The film was directed by Philip Leacock from a screenplay by John Wooldridge and Robert Westerby and based on an original story by Wooldridge. The film is set in an RAF Bomber Command squadron during 1943 and tells of the Wing Commander's atttempt to finish his third and final 'tour' of thirty operations.
Contents |
Wing Commander Tim Mason ([Bogarde) is nearing the end of his third tour of operations, meaning he has flown nearly 90 missions over Germany. Having twice volunteered to continue operational flying, Mason is keen to make it a round 90 'ops', but when he is nearing the end of his tour he receives orders banning him from further flying. Meanwhile, losses are mounting and several raids are being seen as failures, so that some of the members of his crews, Brown (Kerr) and 'The Brat' Greeno (Forbes) among them, are thinking that there must be a 'jinx' at work. Soon after 'The Brat' is then caught sending unauthorised telegrams off the station. These turn out to be written to his wife, Pam, rather than anything more sinister, however Mason reprimands Greeno for the lapse in security. Soon after, Greeno's aircraft fails to return from a raid and Mason agrees to meet Pam, who has asked to see him.
With only one more flight to go he accepts that the decision to ground him was for his own good, and he visits Brown's aircraft as Brown and his crew prepare to take off on a mission. As the crew board the Lancaster the large 4000 lb 'Cookie' bomb that is part of the bomber's load slips from the bomb shackles and injures one of the crew. With no time to obtain a replacement crew member, US Observer Mac Baker takes his place. Mason decides to go as well to reassure the crew's worries about the jinx, and the bomber takes off. The mission is flown and while the target is being attacked the Master Bomber is shot down, causing the remaining bombers to begin bombing inaccurately. Hearing and seeing this, Mason takes the Master Bomber's place on the radio, broadcasting corrections and accurate instructions, and the bombing becomes accurate again. Listening-in to the Master Bomber's broadcast back in England Mason's Commanding Officer, Logan (Hunter) hears Mason's voice and realises that he's disobeyed orders and flown on the operation. However, owing to Mason's intervention the raid, which could have been a failure, has been a success, and on Mason's return Logan greets him at his aircraft.
At the end of the movie Mason, along with Brown, and Greeno's Wife, Pam, take a taxi to Buckingham Palace to receive an award from the King - the so-called 'appointment' referred-to in the film's title.
A sub-plot involves Mason's relationship with Eve Canyon (Dinah Sheridan), a widowed Wren whom American officer Mac is also insterested in. Mason finally succeeds in winning Eve over.
The music was also written by Wooldridge and performed by the Philharmonia Orchestra under his conduction.
The film was produced by Aubrey Baring and Maxwell Setton and shot at British Lion's Shepperton Studios and at RAF Upwood.[1]