Hell Drivers
Directed by Cy Endfield
Written by John Kruse and Cy Endfield
1957/UK
The Rank Organization/Aqua Film Productions
First viewing/Amazon Prime
[box] Lucy, Hawlett Trucking Secretary: You think I’m flinging myself at you, don’t you?
Tom Yately: You’re doing a fair imitation.[/box]
This film has its merits but is not for those with even a touch of car sickness or, ultimately, for me.
Tom Yately (Stanley Baker) has been recently released from prison. He learns about opportunities for skilled drivers at Hawlett Trucking Company from a friend. He assumes a fake identity, fakes a license, passes an arduous driving test and is hired. His fellow drivers are a bunch of thugs and drifters. They must deliver 12 loads of ballast a day over bad roads or be fired. The lead driver and foreman is Red (Patrick McGoohan), a real miscreant who can deliver 18 loads a day and holds the coveted 22-carat gold cigarette case awarded to the fastest driver. Tom decides he must own that cigarette case.
Tom is assisted by his only friend, Gino (Herbert Lom) a warm Italian trucker. Tom’s efforts to keep his nose clean and best Red have earned him the ruthless enmity of all the other drivers, who do everything in their power to sabotage him. To add to his problems, company secretary Lucy (Peggy Cummins), whom Gino loves, keeps coming on to Tom. With Sean Connery as a trucker and David McCallum as Tom’s lame younger brother.
It’s a lot of fun to watch this group of British actors who would go on to major careers in TV and film starting out. I thought Lom was the highlight. Unfortunately, at least half the film is devoted to ear splitting car chases which became tedious by the end.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NV9Vs9tOEaI
Trailer
