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Landfall (1949 film)

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Wikipedia article




'Landfall' is a 1949 British war film directed by Ken Annakin and starring Michael Denison, Patricia Plunkett and Kathleen Harrison. It is based on the 1940 novel 'Landfall: A Channel Story', written by Nevil Shute.

Synopsis



Rick, a British Coastal Command pilot in World War II based near Portsmouth, sinks what he believes to be a German submarine, unaware that a British submarine is also in that part of the Channel. When it emerges that the British submarine has been lost with all hands, a Navy enquiry is held and the senior naval officer concludes that Rick mistakenly attacked a British submarine in a friendly-fire incident. While the enquiry finds that the captain of the submarine was principally at fault for poor navigation, Rick is officially criticized for having failed to properly visually identify his target. Although his commanding officer disagrees with the court's finding and encourages Rick to stay with the squadron, Rick requests another posting.

Rick's fiance Mona, a barmaid, overhears information that might help uncover what really happened to the British submarine. She reports this information to the Navy, who re-open the investigation and find that a German submarine torpedoed the British submarine and took its place, running on the surface until it was sunk by Rick.

In the interim, Rick's new posting is a dangerous flying duty, testing a new type of guided bomb. After his aircraft crashes and he is critically injured, he is met at the hospital by the naval captain who originally ruled against him, and he tells Rick that he has been exonerated in the re-opened enquiry.

Cast



* Michael Denison as Rick

* Patricia Plunkett as Mona

* Kathleen Harrison as Mona's Mother

* Denis O'Dea as Captain Burnaby

* David Tomlinson as Binks

* Charles Victor as Mona's Father

* Joan Dowling as Miriam, the Barmaid

* A. E. Matthews as Air Raid Warden

* Maurice Denham as Wing Commander Hewitt

* Margaretta Scott as Mrs. Burnaby

* Sebastian Shaw as Wing Commander Dickens

* Nora Swinburne as Admiral's Wife

* Laurence Harvey as Petty Officer Hooper

* Paul Carpenter as Petty Officer Morgan

* Frederick Leister as Admiral Blackett

* Hubert Gregg as Lieutenant Commander Dale

* Walter Hudd as Professor Legge

* Margaret Barton as Rosemary Rick's Sister

* Edith Sharpe as Mrs. Chambers Rick's Mother

* Ivan Samson as Commander Rutherford

Reception



The 'Radio Times' gave the film two out of five stars, calling it a "dainty item from a vanished era of British war movies." 'TV Guide' rated the film similarly, concluding that "[a]dequate performances are marred by a script burdened with some soap opera dramatics."

References






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