''Mask of Dust'' is a 1954 British

second feature A B movie, or B film, is a type of cheap, low-budget commercial motion picture. Originally, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, this term specifically referred to films meant to be shown as the lesser-known second half of a double feature, s ...

motor racing An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert one or more forms of energy into mechanical energy. Available energy sources include potential energy (e.g. energy of the Earth's gravitational field as exploited in hydroelectric power gene ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

directed by

Terence Fisher Terence Fisher (23 February 1904 – 18 June 1980) was a British film director best known for his work for Hammer Film Productions, Hammer Films. He was the first to bring gothic horror alive in full colour, and the sexual overtones and explic ...

and starring

Richard Conte Nicholas Peter Conte (March 24, 1910 – April 15, 1975), known professionally as Richard Conte, was an American actor. He was known for his starring roles in films noir and crime dramas during the 1940s and 1950s, including '' Call Northside ...

, Mari Aldon, George Coulouris and

Peter Illing Peter Illing (4 March 1899 – 29 October 1966) was an Austrian-born British film and television actor. Selected TV series * '' The Four Just Men'' (1959) as Dr Mozek * '' Deadline Midnight'' (1961) as Captain Dnieprovsky * '' The Saint'' (1962 ...

. It was written by Richard H. Landau based on the 1953 novel ''The Last Race'' by Jon Manchip White. Jimmy Sangster was production manager, J. Elder Wills was art director and Phil Leakey handled Makeup. Filming ran from March 25, 1954 until May 8, 1954. The film was trade shown on Nov. 23, and released on December 27 in the UK. It was released in January 1955 in the United States by Lippert Pictures retitled ''A Race for Life.''

Plot

A freestyle racing driver must choose between his love for racing, and his wife. His friend's accident will help him to choose, and his loyal ways will get him a new friend – his main rival.

Cast

as Peter Wells * Mari Aldon as Patricia Wells *

as Tony Bellario *

Alec Mango Alec Mango (16 March 1911 – 7 November 1989) was an English actor. Best known for portraying El Supremo in the 1951 '' Captain Horatio Hornblower'', he also appeared in '' South of Algiers'' (1953), '' The Strange World of Planet X'' (1958), ...

as Guido Rosetti * James Copeland as Johnny Jackson * George Coulouris as 'Pic' Dallapiccola * Meredith Edwards as Laurence Gibson * Edwin Richfield as reporter in lounge * Richard Marner as Hans Brecht * Tim Turner as Alvarez * Jeremy Hawk as Martin *

Stirling Moss Sir Stirling Craufurd Moss (17 September 1929 – 12 April 2020) was a British racing driver and sports broadcasting, broadcaster, who competed in Formula One from to . Widely regarded as one of the greatest drivers to never win the Formula On ...

as himself * Reg Parnell as Reg Parnell * John Cooper as John Cooper * Alan Brown as Alan Brown * Leslie Marr as Leslie Marr * John Welsh as priest * Paul Carpenter as racetrack announcer * Raymond Baxter as racetrack announcer

Production

The film was produced by Hammer Films at the company's Bray Studios, with sets designed by the

art director Art director is a title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, live-action and animated film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supe ...

J. Elder Wills.

Critical response

Monthly Film Bulletin The ''Monthly Film Bulletin'' was a periodical of the British Film Institute published monthly from February 1934 until April 1991, when it merged with '' Sight & Sound''. It reviewed all films on release in the United Kingdom, including those wi ...

'' said "Skilful use of newsreel material in the actual racing sequences raises this routine story slightly above the average. Shots of racing at Crystal Palace, Silverstone and Le Mans are effectively put together, giving some excitement and realism to this part of the film. In contrast, the familiar squabbles and domestic difficulties of Wells and his wife take on a decidely hollow look. The playing on the whole is adequate, but the cast sems resigned to the fact that the cars are the real stars" In ''British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959'' David Quinlan rated the film as "average", writing: "Servicable drama with well-integrated racing sequences." ''The

Radio Times ''Radio Times'' is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules, with other features such as interviews, film reviews and lifestyle items. Founded in September 1923 by John Reith, then general manage ...

Guide to Films'' gave the film 1/5 stars, writing: "Hammer's American partner imposed a Hollywood scriptwriter and sent over not one, but two minor US stars for this cheap action drama. British racing drivers such as Stirling Moss appear as themselves and double for lead Richard Conte and other players in this cliché-ridden tale. The intercut footage of real races shows up the artificiality."

References

External links

*
''Mask of Dust''
a
ReelStreets
{{Terence Fisher 1954 films 1954 drama films British drama films Films directed by Terence Fisher British black-and-white films Films based on British novels British auto racing films Hammer Film Productions films Lippert Pictures films Films shot at Bray Studios 1950s English-language films 1950s British films