Dateline Diamonds
| Dateline Diamonds | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Jeremy Summers |
| Written by | Tudor Gates (based on an original idea by Harold Shampan) |
| Produced by | Harry Benn |
| Starring | Musical guests: Small Faces The Chantelles Kiki Dee Mark Richardson Acting roles: William Lucas, Kenneth Cope, Conrad Phillips, Patsy Rowlands, Kenny Everett |
| Cinematography | Stephen Dade |
| Distributed by | Rank Organisation |
Release date |
|
Running time | 73 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Dateline Diamonds is a 1965 British music-film. The film was shot in black and white. The "pop and cop" genre of film was a popular concept in the UK during the early 1960s to highlight young music talent and was geared to appeal directly to the young teenage market. The film was a low-budget B movie and released to support the main feature film Doctor in Clover starring Leslie Phillips.[1][2]
Plot
Major Fairclough is linked to an international criminal gang, which uses the MV Galaxy (the ship which was the home of 1960s pirate radio station Radio London) to smuggle stolen diamonds from the UK to Amsterdam. Fairclough blackmails Lester Benson, the fictitious manager of the Small Faces, into aiding and abetting his crimes.[3]
Production
The film features the original lineup of British band Small Faces (Jimmy Winston was replaced in 1966 by Ian McLagan). Band manager Don Arden arranged for Small Faces to appear in the film as a promotional vehicle for "I've Got Mine", the follow-up to their debut hit single "Whatcha Gonna Do About It". However, the film's release was delayed and the band received no other publicity for their single, which failed to chart. The final sequence, showing Rey Anton and Pro Forma, Mark Richardson, and Small Faces performing on stage, was filmed during a genuine Radio London night at the Rank Ballroom in Watford. The film also features a young Kiki Dee and British vocal group The Chantelles.
The film was made at Pinewood Studios and on location. A collection of location stills and corresponding contemporary photographs is hosted at reelstreets.com.[4]
Dateline Diamonds has been released on VHS and DVD.
Cast list
- William Lucas – Maj. Fairclough
- Kenneth Cope – Lester Benson
- George Mikell – Paul Verlekt
- Conrad Phillips – Tom Jenkins
- Patsy Rowlands – Mrs. Edgecumbe
- Burnell Tucker – Dale Meredith (a fictitious DJ)
- Kenny Everett – himself
- Anna Carteret – Gay Jenkins
- Vanda Godsell – Mrs. Jenkins
- Gertan Klauber – Meyerhof
- Doel Luscombe – Assistant Commissioner
- Peter Zander – Spankaren
- Geoffrey Lumsden – Army Officer
- Ronald Bridges – Garage Attendant
- David Kirk – Dock Policeman
with brief appearances by Phillip Birch, Earl Richmond and Ben Toney
References
- ^ Supporting Doctor in Clover [1] Radio London, Retrieved 11/10/07
- ^ "Doctor in Clover 1966". Archived from the original on 4 October 2007. Retrieved 12 October 2007. Doctor in Clover Retrieved 11/10/07
- ^ [2] Film review Retrieved 11/10/07
- ^ "Dateline Diamonds". ReelStreets. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
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