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]
Dateline Diamonds | |
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![]() 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 |
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Running time | 73 minutes |
Country | United Kingdom |
Language | English |
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]
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.
with brief appearances by Phillip Birch, Earl Richmond and Ben Toney
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Films directed by Jeremy Summers | |
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