Operation Diplomat *** (1953, Guy Rolfe, Lisa Daniely, Patricia Dainton, Sydney Tafler, Ballard Berkeley, Anton Diffring, Brian Worth) – Classic Movie Review 12,774

John Guillermin’s hugely entertaining 1953 British crime thriller film Operation Diplomat is based on the TV serial by Francis Durbridge, and stars Guy Rolfe, Lisa Daniely, Patricia Dainton and Sydney Tafler.

‘INTRIGUE! that could TRIGGER the 3rd World War!’

John Guillermin’s hugely entertaining 1953 British black and white crime thriller film Operation Diplomat stars Guy Rolfe, Lisa Daniely, Patricia Dainton, Sydney Tafler, Ballard Berkeley, Anton Diffring and Brian Worth. It is based on a story of the same name by Francis Durbridge, written for the 1952 BBC TV series A Francis Durbridge Serial.

Serials were in vogue in the infant days of British TV, and Francis Durbridge was incredibly popular, so film spinoffs were inevitable, but adapting them was a huge challenge. However, here A R Rawlinson and John Guillermin make a grand job of compressing the complex serial into a breathless 70 minutes, and Guillermin keeps it rushing along. It’s only a humble second feature, made by bargain basement Nettlefold Films, but it is one of the best of all the Durbridge film adaptations.

Guy Rolfe stars as Dr Mark Fenton, a surgeon who is abducted and discovers the mysterious patient he is operating on is involved in the kidnapping of a British diplomat. Police Inspector Austin (Ballard Berkeley) is called in after the surgeon’s secretary is murdered for revealing the patient’s identity.

Operation Diplomat is directed by John Guillermin, runs 70 minutes, is made by Nettlefold Films, is distributed by Butcher’s Film Service, is written by A R Rawlinson John Guillermin, based on a story by Francis Durbridge, is produced by Ernest G Roy, is shot in black and white by Gerald Gibbs, is scored by Wilfred Burns.

Release dates: December 1953 (UK) and July 1954 (US).

The cast are Guy Rolfe as Dr Mark Fenton, Lisa Daniely as nurse 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, and Joan Vandenberghe as child in bench scene.

Francis Henry Durbridge (25 November 1912 – 11 April 1998).

Francis Durbridge (25 November 1912 – 11 April 1998) is best known for the creation of gentleman detective Paul Temple, who appeared in 16 BBC radio serials from 1938.

Durbridge wrote 17 TV serials for the BBC between 1952 and 1980. They were shown as A Francis Durbridge Serial, changed in 1959 to Francis Durbridge Presents. None of the episodes of A Francis Durbridge Serial is believed to have survived. It is unknown if any of the live broadcasts were ever telerecorded. The Broken Horseshoe (1952) was the first thriller serial aired by the BBC, broadcast live from Alexandra Palace and never actually recorded. The 1953 film The Broken Horseshoe, starring Robert Beatty, is based on the series.

Films from Francis Durbridge’s work: the 1946 Send for Paul Temple (with Anthony Hulme as Paul Temple), the 1948 Calling Paul Temple (based on Send for Paul Temple Again, with John Bentley as Paul Temple), the 1950 Paul Temple’s Triumph (based on News of Paul Temple, with John Bentley as Paul Temple), the 1952 Paul Temple Returns (based on Paul Temple Intervenes, with John Bentley as Paul Temple), the 1953 The Broken Horseshoe (based on the 1952 BBC TV series), the 1953 Operation Diplomat (based on the 1952 BBC TV series), the 1954 The Teckman Mystery (based on The Teckman Biography), the 1955 Portrait of Alison (US: Postmark for Danger) (based on Portrait of Alison), and the 1957 The Vicious Circle.

© Derek Winnert 2023 – Classic Movie Review 12,774

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