''The Stolen Airliner'' is a 1955 British

Children's Film Foundation The Children's Film Foundation (CFF) was a non-profit organisation which made films for children in the United Kingdom originally to be shown as part of childrens' Saturday morning matinée cinema programming. The films typically were about 55 ...

production, directed by

Don Sharp Donald Herman Sharp (19 April 192114 December 2011) was an Australian film director. His best known films were made for Hammer Film Productions, Hammer in the 1960s, and included ''The Kiss of the Vampire'' (1963) and ''Rasputin, the Mad Monk' ...

and starring Fella Edmonds, Diana Day, and Michael Maguire. It was based on

John Pudney John Sleigh Pudney (19 January 1909 – 10 November 1977) was a British poet, journalist and author. He was known especially for his popular poetry written during the Second World War, but he also wrote novels, short stories and children's fict ...

's adventure story for boys, ''Thursday Adventure'' (1955). It was Don Sharp's debut film as director following his decision to abandon acting. According to Anthony Hayward the film "demonstrated his ability to keep the action fast-paced".Don Sharp, obituary in ''The Independent'', 29 December 2011
/ref>

Premise

An international gang of revolutionaries hijack a plane which is being guarded by three young air cadets. The crooks are overpowered in midair, and the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

eventually comes to the rescue.

Cast

Fella Edmonds Fella Edmonds also known as Eddie Edmonds (born 25 October 1941) is a British child actor of film and television. Life He was born on 25 October 1941 in Chiswick. His early promise as Georgie Crain, the principal figure in ''The Rainbow Jacket' ...

- Fred * Diana Day - Anne * Michael Maguire - John *

Peter Dyneley Peter Dyneley (13 April 1921 – 19 August 1977) was a British actor. Although he appeared in many smaller roles in both film and television, he is best remembered for supplying the voice of Jeff Tracy for the 1960s "Supermarionation" TV series ...

- Uncle George * Nicola Braithwaite - Kitty *

Ballard Berkeley Ballard Blascheck (6 August 1904 – 16 January 1988), known professionally as Ballard Berkeley, was an English actor of stage and screen. He is best remembered for playing Major Gowen in the British television sitcom ''Fawlty Towers''. Life an ...

- Mr. Head * Iris Russell - Mrs. Head *

David King-Wood David King-Wood (12 September 1913 – 3 September 2003) was a British actor. He was born in Tehran, Iran (then Persia), the youngest of four children. His father was William King Wood (CIE, CBE), Director of the Indo-European Telegraph Departm ...

- Controller

Production

It was Don Sharp's first feature as director, although he had directed some documentaries. Sharp had written a number of films with John Pudney, whose novel formed the basis for this film. Sharp called it "a very good little action movie".

References

External links

* 1955 films British aviation films Films directed by Don Sharp Films based on British novels 1950s English-language films 1950s British films British black-and-white films {{1950s-UK-film-stub