This week’s mystery movie has been the 1952 Hammer Films picture “Wings of Danger” alias “Dead on Course,” with Zachary Scott, Robert Beatty, Naomi Chance, Kay Kendall, Colin Tapley, Arthur Lane, Harold Lang and Diane Cilento. The screenplay was by John Gilling, from the novel by Elleston Trevor and Packham Webb. Music was by Malcolm Arnold, photography by Walter Harvey and art direction by Andrew Mazzei. The movie was directed by Terence Fisher.
It is available from VCI Entertainment on Volume 2 of the Hammer Film Noir Collector’s Set for $20.99.
What caught my interest in this movie is this gentleman.
According to IMDB, this is Ian Fleming in a small, uncredited role. But I must say, he looks nothing like Ian Fleming the novelist. Oops. This is OTHER Ian Fleming. Earl Boebert has corrected me. Thanks!
Naomi Chance, Zachary Scott and Other Ian Fleming in “Wings of Danger.”
Here’s a better look at Other Ian Fleming.
Another view of Other Ian Fleming.
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| OTHER Ian Fleming from “Wings of Danger.” | Novelist Ian Fleming in an uncredited photo. |
For Monday, we have a mystery gent with a cigar. Please notice that he is not chomping the cigar, perhaps the only time in the history of journalism that a cigar has not been chomped.
Several people guessed Gordon Jackson. A good guess. But this is Arthur Lane.
Note: The mystery photos will be on hiatus next week while the physical plant repairs the pneumatic tubes in the Daily Mirror city room. The tubes have been making an odd whistling sound when one of the flaps fails to close, driving the staff crazy.
For Tuesday, we have a mystery woman ….
This chatty woman is Courtney Hope.
… and Google image search will be no help whatsoever. (Cary Grant… Chaplin … Bela Lugosi … Gary Cooper … James Mason … Johnny Depp… David Geffen … seriously?)
And for Wednesday, we have this mystery gent.
This is Harold Lang as Snell the annoying blackmailer.
Brain Trust roll call: Megan gets the era and country of origin.
For Thursday, we have a mystery woman.
This is Diane Cilento, who was married to Sean Connery. I thought it would be amusing to have two James Bond connections in a mystery film. But it was not to be.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (mystery movie’s country of origin), Mike Hawks (mystery movie’s country of origin), Gary Martin (mystery movie’s country of origin and era) and Howard Mandelbaum (Wednesday’s mystery actor).
Fear not, tomorrow everyone will recognize our mystery leading man.
And for Friday, our mystery leading man has a mystery companion.
Update: Zachary Scott and Kay Kendall.
Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (mystery movie, Tuesday’s mystery woman and Thursday’s mystery woman) and Victor H. Brown (Wednesday’s mystery gent, mystery movie’s country of origin).
ladailymirror.com 
It seems very unlikely but this gent looks very like Bernard Behrens.
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Alas, I’m afraid not.
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“…They couldn’t get a lawyer; they tried to get Otto Kruger…” –Lenny Bruce
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Sidney Blackmer?
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Interesting guess. But alas, I’m afraid not.
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How are you going to send the marked-up copy from the horseshoe to the Linotype operators? Have the copy boy walk it?
-30-
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Looks a bit like Andrew Duggan, though I doubt that it is
.
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Interesting guess. But alas, no.
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I don’t recognize your mystery woman, but the mystery ailment in your pneumatic tubes could be me.
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The gentleman from Monday looks familiar, but still eludes me. So far, my guess is an English film from the 50s.
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Mike and I have known since Monday it’s England and probably the 1940s, but didn’t think people needed to know that.
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Each of these three is very familiar to me, but not so much that I can recall their names. So I am busy researching 1950’s Brit films …of the Alec Guinness persuasion.
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Today: Harold Lang.
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Dead on Course (1952)/ Wings of Danger (original title)
Today: Diane Cilento.
For the upper class types earlier in the week, I nominate Jack Allen and Courtney Hope.
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As folk are naming country of origin and Mr Wednesday is such a familiar face even if I cannot remember his name I’ve got to say this is an English movie.
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Gordon Jackson on Monday?
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A great guess. But alas, I’m afraid not.
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The name came to me just like that,.. Mr Wednesday is Harold Lang.Success at last.
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Zachary Scott and Ruth Roman.
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Zachary Scott and Kay Kendall in Wings of Danger.
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Zachary Scott and Kay Kendall.
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Zachary Scott and Kay Kendall in DEAD ON COURSE a.k.a. WINGS OF DANGER 1952.
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I finally recognize someone. Friday’s gent is Zachary Scott. The problem is his costars are the same in most of his films, so I’m not sure which film.
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Zachary Scott today. Guessing the movie is THE MASK OF DIMITRIOS…
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On Friday the stars of ‘Dead on Course’ Zachary Scott and Kay Kendall appear.
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While walking in Hampstead in the north of London many years ago, I approached an old church with a graveyard on both sides of the road. On one of the graves and leaning toward the wrought iron fence was a beautiful deep, deep red Hollyhock. Wanting one that color in my garden, I reached in and snapped off a seed pod. Then bowing I said in my best British accent, “to whom do I own my thank yous?” and on that stone I read, “Kay Kendall, beloved of Rex.”
Wings of Danger with Kay and Zachery Scott and Harold Lang whose face is very familiar but in whose credits there is not one film I have seen. Strange. Diane Cilento as well.
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Wonderful story, thanks for sharing.
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Isn’t your Ian Fleming the Australian character actor of that name? Played Watson in the Wontner Holmes movies.
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You are so right. My error completely!
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