Mr. Denning Drives North

Mr. Denning Drives North is a 1951 British mystery film directed by Anthony Kimmins and starring John Mills, Phyllis Calvert and Sam Wanamaker.[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.

Mr. Denning Drives North
UK theatrical poster
Directed byAnthony Kimmins
Produced byAnthony Kimmins
Stephen Mitchell
Written byAlec Coppel
Based onnovel by Alec Coppel
StarringJohn Mills
Phyllis Calvert
Herbert Lom
Eileen Moore
Music byBenjamin Frankel
CinematographyJohn Wilcox
Edited byGerald Turney-Smith
Production
company
Distributed byBritish Lion Films
Release date
  • 18 December 1951 (1951-12-18)
Running time
93 minutes
CountryEngland
LanguageEnglish
Box office£70,197 (UK)[1]

Plot

Aircraft manufacturer Tom Denning (John Mills) is married to Kay (Phyllis Calvert); they have a daughter, Liz (Eileen Moore). Liz is dating Mados (Herbert Lom) who Tom "accidentally" kills by punching him. Instead of calling the police, Tom disposes of the body in a ditch. He tries to disguise the victim by placing a large overly-ornate ring on the victim's finger. Later, torn with his guilt, he goes back to pick up the body only to find that it has disappeared.

Cast

Original novel
Mr Denning Drives North
AuthorAlec Coppel
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Genrethriller
PublisherHarrap
Publication date
1950

The film was based on a novel by Coppel that was published in late 1950.[3][4][5]

The Washington Post thought the Rolls Royce "made more sense than any of the alleged human characters... a bit pretentious."[6]

Production

Film rights were bought by Alexander Korda's London Films.[7] John Mills' casting was announced in May 1951.[8] It was Mills' first film in almost two years.[9]

At one stage Dane Clark and Pat Roc were reportedly going to support Mills.[10]

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.[11]

Reception

Box office

The film performed poorly at the British box office.[1]

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."[12]

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. 16 April 2009. Archived from the original on 13 January 2009. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
  3. "BOOKS RECEIVED". The Manchester Guardian. 7 December 1950. ProQuest 479141205.
  4. Mr Denning Drives North at AustLit
  5. "Latest Fiction". The Advertiser. Adelaide. 3 March 1951. p. 6. Retrieved 20 March 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. Sproul, K. (17 June 1951). "The coffin corner". The Washington Post. ProQuest 152365227.
  7. S. W. (18 November 1951). "NOTED ON THE LONDON SCREEN SCENE". New York Times. ProQuest 111773898.
  8. "Film news from Hollywood and London". The Sun (12, 873) (LATE FINAL EXTRA ed.). Sydney. 3 May 1951. p. 40. Retrieved 3 September 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. "Australian Angles". The Sunday Herald. Sydney. 17 June 1951. p. 12. Retrieved 20 March 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. Schallert, Edwin (25 April 1951). "Drama: Milland, Brian, Carter in 'Bugles;' Nat Holt Buys Oceanic Subject". Los Angeles Times. p. A7.
  11. "Patricia returns". The Mail. Adelaide. 16 February 1952. p. 6 Supplement: SUNDAY MAGAZINE. Retrieved 20 March 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
  12. H. H. T. (2 September 1953). "Movie Review – Mr Denning Drives North – A Cool, British Appraisal of Murder". New York Times. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
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