Michael Craig

Peter Cushing

Bernard Lee

Elizabeth Seal

George Sanders

André Morell

Gordon Jackson

Charles Tingwell

Noel Willman

Delphi Lawrence

Marne Maitland

William Abney

Jack Hedley

Simon Lack

Hedger Wallace

Charles Mylne

Howard Pays

Ballard Berkeley

Charles Lloyd Pack

Homi Bode

Anthony Newlands

Geoffrey Bayldon

Ernest Blyth

Olga Dickie

Victor Harrington

Walter Henry

Frederick Leister

Gerald Sim

Charles Frend

David Beaty

Robert Westerby

Aubrey Baring

Max Benedict

Wilfred Shingleton

Arthur Grant

Gerard Schurmann

Anne Box

Freddie Williamson

Basil Rayburn

Buster Ambler

John Cox

Peter Dukelow

Moray Grant

Drama

Thriller

Cone of Silence

Aubrey Baring Productions

United Kingdom

CinemaSerf

Just as jet engine-powered aircraft were starting to take to the skies, veteran "Capt. Gort" (Bernard Lee) is involved in a near miss trying to take off in his new, state-of-the-art "Phoenix" aircraft. At the subsequent inquiry, he faces thinly veiled criticism from "Sir Arnold" (George Sanders) but is nonetheless cleared to keep flying by his senior colleague "Dallas" (Michael Craig). This earns both of them the chagrin of fellow pilot "Judd" (Peter Cushing) who's convinced of operator error and makes no bones about expressing his suspicions about "Gort" - especially when a landing at Calcutta reveals some foliage in the undercarriage. Thing is, both "Gort" and "Dallas" are convinced they are following the rules, to the letter, so what's wrong? When a tragedy ensues, the most convenient solution would seem to be to simply blame the pilot, but perhaps the foliage might reveal more clues as to what actually went wrong? There's a rather unnecessary romantic sub-plot with Craig and Elizabeth Seal's "Charlotte", but otherwise this is quite tautly directed thriller that uses some decent photography to illustrate the perils of the pilots and the claustrophobia of their tiny cockpits. The setting in India also presents us with an almost palpably hot and humid scenario for these airborne shenanigans. Cushing delivers best, I thought, as the man who comes across as jealous, or concerned, or ambitious or maybe all three? It's a simple story well acted and told and maybe isn't a film to watch if you have the slightest fear of flying (or, indeed, want one!).

English