Operation Diplomat (film)

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]

Operation Diplomat
Directed byJohn Guillermin
Written byA. R. Rawlinson
John Guillermin
Based ona story by Francis Durbridge
Produced byErnest G. Roy
StarringGuy Rolfe
CinematographyGerald Gibbs
Edited byJoseph Sterling
Music byWilfred Burns
Production
company
Nettleford
Distributed byButcher's Film Service
Release date
  • December 1953 (1953-12) (UK)
Running time
70 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

Plot summary

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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

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Critical reception

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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

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  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
  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.
  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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