Hell Drivers (1957)
Hell Drivers (1957)
2xDVD9 | VIDEO_TS | PAL | 2.40:1 | 720x576 | 5800 kbps | 13.2Gb
Audio: English AC3 2.0 @ 192 Kbps
01:48:00 | UK | Crime, Drama, Thriller
The story [from a short story by John Kruse, adaptation by Cy Endfield], said to be based on a real one, has to do with the rivalries of a gang of haulage truck drivers, operating between gravel pits and a construction site.
Stanley Baker is an ex convict who gets a job as one of these drivers and immediately falls foul of Patrick McGoohan, the firm's ace driver. Baker discovers that McGoohan and William Hartnell, the manager, are running a racket.
Director: Cy Endfield
Cast: Stanley Baker, Herbert Lom, Peggy Cummins, Patrick McGoohan, William Hartnell, Wilfrid Lawson, Sid James, Jill Ireland, Alfie Bass, Gordon Jackson, David McCallum, Sean Connery, Wensley Pithey, George Murcell, Marjorie Rhodes, Vera Day, Beatrice Varley, Robin Bailey, John Miller, Jean St. Clair, Jerry Stovin, John Horsley, Marianne Stone, Ronald Clarke, Pauline Chamberlain, Anthony John, Charles Lamb, Hal Osmond, Sandra Robb, Ben Williams
![Hell Drivers (1957)]()
Extras:
- Disc 1: Audio Commentary, Trailer, The Stanley Baker Story, Look In on Hell Drivers, Image Gallery, Strip Cartoon Gallery
- Disc 2: "Who Killed Lamb", "Danger Man: Loyalty Always Pays", Stanley Baker Unveils a Memorial Plaque, Bruce Lewis interviews Stanley Baker, Return to the Rhondda
![Hell Drivers (1957)]()
IMDb
![Hell Drivers (1957)]()
2xDVD9 | VIDEO_TS | PAL | 2.40:1 | 720x576 | 5800 kbps | 13.2Gb
Audio: English AC3 2.0 @ 192 Kbps
01:48:00 | UK | Crime, Drama, Thriller
The story [from a short story by John Kruse, adaptation by Cy Endfield], said to be based on a real one, has to do with the rivalries of a gang of haulage truck drivers, operating between gravel pits and a construction site.
Stanley Baker is an ex convict who gets a job as one of these drivers and immediately falls foul of Patrick McGoohan, the firm's ace driver. Baker discovers that McGoohan and William Hartnell, the manager, are running a racket.
Director: Cy Endfield
Cast: Stanley Baker, Herbert Lom, Peggy Cummins, Patrick McGoohan, William Hartnell, Wilfrid Lawson, Sid James, Jill Ireland, Alfie Bass, Gordon Jackson, David McCallum, Sean Connery, Wensley Pithey, George Murcell, Marjorie Rhodes, Vera Day, Beatrice Varley, Robin Bailey, John Miller, Jean St. Clair, Jerry Stovin, John Horsley, Marianne Stone, Ronald Clarke, Pauline Chamberlain, Anthony John, Charles Lamb, Hal Osmond, Sandra Robb, Ben Williams
Hell Drivers (1957)
Extras:
- Disc 1: Audio Commentary, Trailer, The Stanley Baker Story, Look In on Hell Drivers, Image Gallery, Strip Cartoon Gallery
- Disc 2: "Who Killed Lamb", "Danger Man: Loyalty Always Pays", Stanley Baker Unveils a Memorial Plaque, Bruce Lewis interviews Stanley Baker, Return to the Rhondda
Hell Drivers (1957)
Joe 'Tom' Yateley is an ex-convict. Trying to leave his past behind, he decides to start working for the Hawlett Trucking company, which transports gravel. It's an aggressive company, where speed is everything. Doing too few runs in a day? You're out. Red is the most experienced trucker; he can do 18 runs in a day. Tom soon makes friends with Lucy, the secretary, and Gino, a driver. But the record of Red intrigues him and he wants to break it. Gino advises against it, but he helps Tom when he wants to go through with it. Soon trouble begins when Red and the other drivers form a united front against Tom. Just when Tom has enough and decides to pack his bags, Lucy tells him Gino had a terrible accident. She also tells about the corruption of Hawlett Trucking.
~ Arnoud Tiele
IMDb
Although the film belongs to Baker and mcgoohan there are plenty of other famous faces to spot. yes, sid james only ever played one character in all his films- that of sid james- but its an interesting romp nonetheless. I have it on good authority it was filmed around Stanwell moor, west London, and the trucks are "kew" dodges. something no-one has picked up on is that the sequences showing the trucks traveling at speed are obviously speeded up, these old motors were incapable of exceeding 45 mph, even more so carrying 10 tons o gravel (they were only 7 ton design weight) The plot is believable though, the practice of paying drivers "per trip" was and still is a common practice, especially in the tipper sector (obviously to encourage more runs) I know, I worked for a firm remarkably similar to Hawletts. someone has commented on the "coincidence" that all the drivers sleep at the same lodgings- this too was common in the 50's, before the advent of sleeper cabs, drivers would simply find "digs" for the night. also fewer people had their own car in those days, so wouldn't it make sense to sleep close to the job? Made on a small budget in an era where you would need to watch your Ps and Qs and also tone down any scenes of violence, its a classic in my opinion. In those days you'd actually probably be very grateful to be behind one of these wagons, the speed limit for trucks was only 20mph back then!
~ herbertanchovy
Hell Drivers (1957)
