Doomsday at Eleven (also known as Doomsday at 11) is a 1962 British film directed by Theodore Zichy and starring Carl Jaffe, Alan Haywood and Stanley Morgan. The screenplay was by Paul Tabori. The film was produced by Jack Parsons.
Contents
Plot
WIlson, jailed for 10 years for betraying official secrets, wants revenge against the judge who put him away. He sends a package containing a time-bomb to the maternity hospital where the judge's wife, Angela, is expecting a baby. The bomb is discovered and the hospital evacuated, but due to their condition Angela and another patient cannot be moved. A bomb disposal team is called but are involved in an accident on the way. Wylie, the commanding officer, although injured, manages to reach the hospital and enlists the help of Peter Godwin, a policeman visiting his wife, and Stefan, a porter. They disarm the bomb, but its highly dangerous bottle of nitroglycerin remains, with its stopper jammed. Peter and Stefan take the bottle through a tunnel for its urgent disposal at sea, and on the way meet a tramp, Jeremiah, who suggests they cut through the glass with Stefan's diamond ring, which they successfully do.
Cast
Carl Jaffe as Stefan
Alan Haywood as Peter Godwin
Stanley Morgan as Wylie
Derrick De Marney as Alderbrook
Jennifer Wright as Angela
Delia Corrie as Eve
Alan Edwards as Wilson
Geoffrey Dunn as Jeremiah
Eric Elliott as Dr. Hooper
John Harvey as assistant commissioner
Donald Tandy as Sgt. Hawkes
Douglas Robinson as warder
Joe Ritchie as lorry driver
Grenville Eves as 1st Inspector
Basil Beale as 2nd Inspector
Robin Ford as attendant
Frank Thornton as BBC announcer
Production
The film was partially funded by the National Film Finance Corporation. It was shot at Shepperton Studios.
Critical reception
The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "Grotesque melodrama, whose high-spot is the climactic crosscutting (possibly symbolic) between Angela having a caesarean operation, and the three men carefully opening the explosive bottle with a diamond ring. One or two scenes are mildly effective – notably the attack from the rooftops and the eerie descent into the tube tunnel – but the whole thing is swamped by the grossly exaggerated heroics and incredibly foolish dialogue."