Mr. Denning Drives North

Mr. Denning Drives North

UK theatrical poster
Directed by Anthony Kimmins
Produced by Anthony Kimmins
Stephen Mitchell
Written by Alec Coppel
Based on novel by Alec Coppel
Starring John Mills
Phyllis Calvert
Herbert Lom
Eileen Moore
Music by Benjamin Frankel
Cinematography John Wilcox
Edited by Gerald Turney-Smith
Production
company
London Film Productions
Distributed by British Lion Films
Release dates
21 January 1952
Running time
93 minutes
Country England
Language English
Box office £70,197 (UK)[1]

Mr. Denning Drives North is a 1952 British mystery film directed by Anthony Kimmins and starring John Mills, Phyllis Calvert and Eileen Moore.[2] The plot concerns an aircraft manufacturer (Mills) who accidentally kills the boyfriend (Herbert Lom) of his daughter (Moore) and tries to dispose of the body. Alec Coppel wrote the script, adapted from his own novel. It was made at Shepperton Studios.

cast

Original novel

Mr Denning Drives North
Author Alec Coppel
Country United Kingdom
Language English
Genre thriller
Publisher Harrap
Publication date
1951

The film was based on a 1951 novel by Coppel.[3][4]

Production

It was John Mills first film in almost two years.[5] Sam Wanamaker had been living in England since 1949 and was offered the part after writing to his agent from holiday in France asking if any jobs were going.[6]

Trader Faulkner had a small role as a gypsy.[7]

Critical reception

The New York Times wrote, "this little melodrama serves as still another reminder, from a country that jolly well knows how to exercise it, that restraint can work minor wonders...Persuasive and tingling, minus one false note... No doubt about it. The British have what it takes."[8]

References

  1. Vincent Porter, 'The Robert Clark Account', Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, Vol 20 No 4, 2000 p495
  2. "BFI | Film & TV Database | MR. DENNING DRIVES NORTH (1951)". Ftvdb.bfi.org.uk. 2009-04-16. Retrieved 2014-03-04.
  3. Mr Denning Drives North at AustLit
  4. "Latest Fiction.". The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1931 - 1954) (Adelaide, SA: National Library of Australia). 3 March 1951. p. 6. Retrieved 20 March 2014.
  5. "Australian Angles.". The Sunday Herald (Sydney, NSW : 1949 - 1953) (Sydney, NSW: National Library of Australia). 17 June 1951. p. 12. Retrieved 20 March 2014.
  6. "Patricia returns.". The Mail (Adelaide, SA : 1912 - 1954) (Adelaide, SA: National Library of Australia). 16 February 1952. p. 6 Supplement: SUNDAY MAGAZINE. Retrieved 20 March 2014.
  7. "John Healey's FILM PAGE.". The Mail (Adelaide, SA : 1912 - 1954) (Adelaide, SA: National Library of Australia). 21 July 1951. p. 11 Supplement: SUNDAY MAGAZINE. Retrieved 20 March 2014.
  8. H. H. T. (1953-09-02). "Movie Review - Mr Denning Drives North - A Cool, British Appraisal of Murder". NYTimes.com. Retrieved 2014-03-04.

External links