fiction.wikisort.org - Movie

Emergency Call is a 1952 British drama film directed by Lewis Gilbert and stars Jack Warner in a familiar role playing a policeman, Anthony Steel, Joy Shelton and Sid James as a dubious boxing promoter.[2][3]

Emergency Call
DVD cover
Directed by	Lewis Gilbert
Written by	Lewis Gilbert Vernon Harris
Produced by	Ernest G. Roy
Starring	Jack Warner Anthony Steel Joy Shelton Sid James
Cinematography	Wilkie Cooper
Edited by	Charles Hasse
Music by	Wilfred Burns
Production company	Nettlefold Films
Distributed by	Butcher's Film Service
Release date	24 May 1952 (1952-05-24)
Running time	84 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Budget	£20,000[1]

It was shot at Nettlefold Studios and distributed by Butcher's Film Service. The sets were designed by the art director Bernard Robinson. The film was a noted success compared to its small budget and helped establish Gilbert as a director.[4] It was remade in 1962 as Emergency starring Glyn Houston.[5]

Synopsis

The film centres around a race against the clock to locate three blood donors each able to donate one pint of a rare type of blood to save the life of a young girl suffering from leukaemia. The doctor in charge of treating the girl enlists the assistance of police officer Inspector Lane in order to assist in the search for suitable donors. The three donors are each from very different backgrounds, a white boxer, a black sailor, and finally a murderer who has been on the run from the police for a number of years. The boxer's donation is fairly straightforward, having only to avoid his manager, the sailor's donation is more complicated, following a war-time incident where a dying Nazi soldier refused to accept his offer of a donation which he attributes to racism, he initially refuses to donate, until it is explained to him that the Nazi officer refused his donation for reasons that can be attributed to the Nazi's master race ideology.

The final donor is a murderer on the run from the police, living under an assumed name. The police eventually locate the man and he suffers a gunshot injury. He must choose to donate the last pint of blood needed and die at the scene from blood loss, or to refuse to donate in order to receive treatment in hospital but with the knowledge he will surely be found guilty of murder at trial and sentenced to death. The criminal chooses to donate and the young girl survives.[2][5]

Cast

Production

Both Warner and Steel were loaned out from the Rank Organisation; the two men worked together again with Gilbert on Abert RN[6] Real life boxer Freddie Mills played a boxer.[7]

Release

Variety said "story strikes an original note."[8]

The Monthly Film Bulletin said it "adds up to a fairly exciting ninety minutes."[9]

Abner Greshler bought the rights to distribute the film in the US as The Hundred Dollar Hunt. He also announced he signed Gilbert and Steel to make a film in Hollywood, The Black Robin. This did not eventuate.[10][11]

References

External links

• Emergency Call at IMDb
• Emergency Call at the British Film Institute
• Emergency Call at TCMDB
• Emergency Call at Letterbox DVD

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