Operation Diplomat (film)

Operation Diplomat
Operation Diplomat
Directed by	John Guillermin
Written by	A. R. Rawlinson; John Guillermin
Based on	a story by Francis Durbridge
Produced by	Ernest G. Roy
Starring	Guy Rolfe
Cinematography	Gerald Gibbs
Edited by	Joseph Sterling
Music by	Wilfred Burns
Production; company	Nettleford
Distributed by	Butcher's Film Service
Release date	December 1953 (UK);
Running time	70 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

Operation Diplomat is a 1953 British drama film directed by John Guillermin and starring Guy Rolfe and Lisa Daniely. It was written by A. R. Rawlinson and Guillermin based on a story by Francis Durbridge. It was produced by Ernest G. Roy.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Plot summary

A surgeon operating on an unknown patient discovers that he is involved in the kidnapping of a British diplomat. After his personal secretary is murdered for revealing the patient's identity the police are called in.

Cast

Guy Rolfe as Dr Mark Fenton
Lisa Daniely as Lisa Durand
Patricia Dainton as Sister Rogers
Sydney Tafler as Wade
Ballard Berkeley as Inspector Austin
Anton Diffring as Shroder
Brian Worth as Geoffrey Terry
Michael Golden as Harrison
James Raglan as Sir Oliver Peters
Avice Landone as Mrs Terry
Eric Berry as Colonel Williams
Edward Dain as Sergeant Lewis
William Franklyn as Dr Gillespie
Desmond Llewelyn as Police Constable at barrier (uncredited)
Joan Vandenberghe as child in bench scene

Critical reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin called it an "energetic yet improbable figure with too many points left unexplained".^[4]

TV Guide concluded that "this film is hard to swallow, but the non-stop action helps cover up the gaping holes in the plot",^[5] and a writer for Filmink asserted that "it's crisply done".^[6]

A profile of the director in Film Comment called the film "perhaps the first example of prime Guillermin ... a 70-minute programmer so tautly directed that every image counts, every detail matters, every actor's movement feels perfectly timed – a true gem."^[7]

References

^ "Operation Diplomat". BFI. Archived from the original on 13 July 2012.
^ OPERATION DIPLOMAT Picture Show; London Vol. 62, Iss. 1617, (Mar 27, 1954): 10
^ Pratt, Vic; Lees, Kate (2020). "CHAPTER 3 EARLY DAYS WITH ADELPHI FILMS". In Guillermin, Mary (ed.). John Guillermin: The Man, The Myth, The Movies. Precocity Press. p. 45.
^ OPERATION DIPLOMAT Monthly Film Bulletin; London Vol. 21, Iss. 240, (Jan 1, 1954): 11.
^ "Operation Diplomat". TV Guide. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016.
^ Vagg, Stephen (17 November 2020). "John Guillermin: Action Man". Filmink.
^ Möller, Olaf (2014). "Savage Spectacles". Film Comment (January–February): 20–21.

External links

Operation Diplomat at IMDb
Operation Diplomant at Letterbox DVD

This article related to a British film of the 1950s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[1] "Operation Diplomat". BFI. Archived from the original on 13 July 2012.

[2] OPERATION DIPLOMAT Picture Show; London Vol. 62, Iss. 1617, (Mar 27, 1954): 10

[john-3] Pratt, Vic; Lees, Kate (2020). "CHAPTER 3 EARLY DAYS WITH ADELPHI FILMS". In Guillermin, Mary (ed.). John Guillermin: The Man, The Myth, The Movies. Precocity Press. p. 45.

[4] OPERATION DIPLOMAT Monthly Film Bulletin; London Vol. 21, Iss. 240, (Jan 1, 1954): 11.

[5] "Operation Diplomat". TV Guide. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016.

[ink-6] Vagg, Stephen (17 November 2020). "John Guillermin: Action Man". Filmink.

[7] Möller, Olaf (2014). "Savage Spectacles". Film Comment (January–February): 20–21.

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