Finally had the presence of mind to scratch ‘Hell Drivers’ off the Tour’s long-standing watch list. From a strictly Doctor Who perspective, the main attraction is seeing William Hartnell in full “hard man” mode as the ruthless owner of a trucking company who is eventually revealed to be thoroughly corrupt.
Although Stanley Baker is the film’s lead, he’s arguably the least interesting piece of the puzzle. Whoever handled the casting certainly had an eye for talent. The supporting cast is packed with future stars and familiar faces, including Herbert Lom, Patrick McGoohan (delightfully villainous here), Sid James, a very young Jill Ireland, an even younger David McCallum, Alfie Bass, Gordon Jackson, and—oh, by the way—Sean Connery. What an astonishingly stacked cast!
The film itself is pretty good, too: a gritty, fast-paced example of 1950s British cinema that remains highly entertaining nearly seventy years later.