Diamond City (film)

Diamond City

Directed by David MacDonald
Produced by A. Frank Bundy
Screenplay by Roland Pertwee (screenplay)
Roger Bray (story)
Starring David Farrar
Honor Blackman
Diana Dors
Niall MacGinnis
Music by Clifton Parker
Cinematography Reginald H. Wyer
Production
company
Distributed by General Film Distributors
Release dates
 1949
Running time
 90 minutes
Country United Kingdom
Language English

Diamond City is a 1949 British drama film directed by David MacDonald and starring David Farrar, Honor Blackman, Diana Dors and Niall MacGinnis.[1]

Plot

After the discovery and exploitation of a new diamond mine in South Africa, lawman Stafford Parker tries to maintain order in the ramshackle mining town that springs up around it.,[2]

Cast

Production

The movie was based on the true story of Stafford Parker[3] who was elected president of the Diamond Diggers Republic in 1871.[4][5]

It was announced in 1945 as Digger's Rest and was to star Stewart Granger from director Leslie Arliss. "This Parker was a born fighter, a great, husky guy," said Arliss. "He'd knocked around in the States as a young man and was tremendously impressed by the sheriff system, as he'd seen it practiced in the West.[6]

The film was seen as an attempt by producer Sydney Box to compete with Eureka Stockade (1949), another British film set and shot in a former colony.[7]

It combined location filming in South Africa with studio work in England.[8]

Filming was held up when David Farrar fell ill.[9]

Bombadier Billy Wells taught Farrar how to box for the film.[10]

References

  1. ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041294/
  2. ↑ http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/31282
  3. ↑ "Healesville Talkies.". Healesville Guardian (Lilydale, Vic. : 1942 - 1954) (Lilydale, Vic.: National Library of Australia). 12 July 1952. p. 3. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
  4. ↑ "Stafford Parker - KAAPSCHE HOOP CHARACTERS OF THE EARLY DAYS", Mapumalanga Happenings accessed 27 Jan 2014
  5. ↑ Jade Davenport, "A question of sovereignty over South Africa’s earliest diamond diggings" Mining Weekly 28 May 2010 accessed 27 Jan 2014
  6. ↑ NOTES FROM LONDON'S FILM STUDIOS: Thriller What, No Love Affair? By C.A. LEJEUNE. New York Times (1923-Current file) [New York, N.Y] 23 Dec 1945: X5.
  7. ↑ "Film Gossip From London And Hollywood CHALLENGE TO EUREKA BY OLD RIVAL.". Sunday Times (Perth, WA : 1902 - 1954) (Perth, WA: National Library of Australia). 2 October 1949. p. 2 Supplement: Sunday Times Comics. Retrieved 14 February 2012.
  8. ↑ "400 Horsemen.". The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957) (Melbourne, Vic.: National Library of Australia). 11 January 1949. p. 3 Supplement: The Argus Woman's Magazine. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
  9. ↑ "FILM CLOSE-UPS.". The Mail (Adelaide, SA : 1912 - 1954) (Adelaide, SA: National Library of Australia). 26 February 1949. p. 2 Supplement: SUNDAY MAGAZINE. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
  10. ↑ "NOVELLO HIT TO BE SCREENED.". The Mail (Adelaide, SA : 1912 - 1954) (Adelaide, SA: National Library of Australia). 23 April 1949. p. 3 Supplement: SUNDAY MAGAZINE. Retrieved 27 January 2014.

External links