Review of Hell Drivers (1957) by Daniel B — 04 Jun 2007

This film is a gritty B-movie thriller that also just so happens to be based and filmed in England.

The cast listing here doesn't tell all though, yes the first Doctor Who stars in the film, as does Patrick "I am not a number!" McGoohan - but the cast listing neglects to mention Sean "James Bond" Connery, David "Illya Kuryakin" McCallum, Gordon "George Cowley" Jackson or Sid James pre-Carry On.

And the varied list of soon to be famous actors is just part of what makes this film so good - when Stanley Baker's characer Joe "Tom" Yateley is welcomed into the Hawlett Trucking company, we see a wide variety of people from all walks of life and areas of the UK.

But unlike Yateley, his co-workers are generally rough and ready who (despite their differences) click together.

Yateley is a clean cut, smooth and intelligent man - but no fool.

He soon learns who his friends are and indeed who his nemesis is. In this case, Patrick McGoohan's menacing performance as the Foreman/Pacesetter "Red".

The ending of the film is slightly anti-climatic, however I feel that's more to do with the limited budget of the time. Further, Yateley's character appears to develop an attraction for a young lady working in the café/pulling in station and a repulsion to the character Lucy.

Yet towards the end of the film, this changes and is a weak point in the film. It can be glossed over however, and the film is quite worthy of it's 4 out of 5 stars.