Seven Days to Noon (1950)

Country of Origin: UK
Year of Production: 1950
Running Times: 94 mins
Length: 8,685 ft
Format: black and white 35mm
Ratio: 1.37:1
Sound: mono

PRODUCTION
Production Companies: London Film Productions / BLPA
Producers: John Boulting, Roy Boulting
Associate Producer: Peter De Sarigny
Production Manager: John Palmer

SCRIPT
Script: Frank Harvey, Roy Boulting
Story: Paul Dehn, James Bernard

DIRECTION
Director: John Boulting, Roy Boulting
Assistant Director: Mike Johnson

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Gilbert Taylor
Camera Operators: Dennis Fox, Robert Huke, Gerald Moss
Associate Cameraman: Ray Sturgess

EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Editor: John Boulting, Roy Boulting
Assembly Editor: Max Benedict
Assistant Editor: Ann Chegwidden

MUSIC
Music: John Addison
Conductor: Hubert Clifford

SOUND
Sound: Bert Ross
Sound Editor: Bert Eggleton
Dubbing: Red Law

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up: U.P. Hutchinson
Costume Designer: Honoria Plesch

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Art Director: John Elphick

LOCATIONS
Locations: London, England, UK
Studio: Shepperton Studios, Shepperton, Surrey, UK

CAST
Barry Jones (Professor John Malcolm Francis Willoughby)
André Morell (Superintendent Folland)
Hugh Cross (Stephen Lane)
Sheila Manahan (Ann Willingdon)
Olive Sloane (Miss Goldie Phillips)
Joan Hickson (Mrs Emily Georgina Peckett)
Ronald Adam (Prime Minister Hon. Arthur Lytton)
Marie Ney (Mrs Willingdon)
Wyndham Goldie (vicar)
Russell Waters (Detective Davis)
Martin Boddey (General Willoughby)
Fred Allen
Victor Maddern (Jackson, the trigger-happy soldier)
Geoffrey Keen (loudmouth in pub)
Merrill Mueller (news commentator)
Joss Ackland (station policeman - uncredited)
Jean Anderson (mother at train station - uncredited)
Sam Kydd (soldier in house search - uncredited)
Bruce Seton (officer in charge of transport - uncredited)
Marianne Stone (woman in phone box - uncredited)
Ian Wilson (sandwich board man - uncredited)

Professor Willoughby is so concerned with the way that the arms race is going that he absconds with a nuclear device hidden in a case. He threatens to detonate the weapon in London if the British government doesn't end nuclear research within the week. As London is evacuated, the authorities race against time find Willoughby before he can destroy the city.

A nail-biting suspense drama with some haunting scenes of a London deserted by the authorities to prevent nuclear disaster. But the large scale canvas is also used to sketch in excellent character studies, compelling brought to life by an excellent cast. The Boulting brothers direct in an almost documentary style, adding greatly to the almost unbearable tension. Another great monochrome British thriller, the sort that the industry seems incapable of - or unwilling to - make any more.

UK
Theatrical Distributor: British Lion Films Ltd

USA
Theatrical Distributor: Mayer-Kingsley
Video Distributor: J&J

Finland
Rating: K-16

UK
Rating: A

1950
Venice Film Festival, Italy
Golden Lion (John Boulting, Roy Boulting) - nominated

1951
British Academy Awards, UK
Best British Film - nominated

1952
Academy Awards, USA
Best Writing, Motion Picture Story (James Bernard, Paul Dehn) - winner

1950
October
10: Denmark - theatrical release
30: UK - theatrical release

December
1: Finland - theatrical release

1953
July
29: USA - television broadcast (on WPIX)

1975
December
6: UK - television broadcast (on BBC2)

1985
November
17: UK - television broadcast (on BBC2)

1989
March
25: UK - television broadcast (on BBC2)

1991
April
19: UK - television broadcast (on BBC2)

1994
March
5: UK - television broadcast (on Channel 4)

1996
February
16: UK - television broadcast (on Channel 4)

1997
November
21: UK - television broadcast (on Channel 4)

1999
November
16: UK - television broadcast (on Channel 4)

2002
January
24: UK - television broadcast (on Channel 4)

MAGAZINES

Film Industry vol.7 no.54 (11 August 1949) (UK)
review

Films in Review vol.2 no.2 (February 1951) p.36 (USA)
review

Monthly Film Bulletin vol.17 no.200 (September 1950) p.136 (UK)
credits, synopsis, review

Motion Picture Herald vol.181 no.13 (30 December 1950) p.641 (USA)
credits, review

Picturegoer vol.20 no.808 (28 October 1950) p.15 (UK)
review

Sight and Sound February vol.19 no.8 (December 1950) p.332 (UK)
review

Today's Cinema vol.75 no.6060 (16 August 1950) (UK)
review

TV Times 16-22 July 1983 p.27
review

TV Times 31 March - 6 April 1984 p.38
credits

Variety 23 August 1950 (USA)
credits, review

BOOKS

Creature Features Strikes Again p.342
credits, review (by John Stanley)

Reference Guide to Fantastic Films p.428
credits

Science Fiction Film Source Book p.201
credits

scientists; nuclear weapons; nuclear terrorism; london