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Seven Days to Noon
Directed by	John Boulting Roy Boulting
Produced by	John Boulting Roy Boulting
Written by	James Bernard Roy Boulting Paul Dehn Frank Harvey
Starring	Barry Jones
Music by	John Addison
Cinematography	Gilbert Taylor
Editing by	John Boulting Roy Boulting
Distributed by	British Lion Film Corporation
Release date(s)	October 10, 1950
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile

Seven Days to Noon is a 1950 British drama / thriller film directed by John Boulting and Roy Boulting. Paul Dehn and James Bernard won the Academy Award for Best Story for this film.

Set some time in the 1950s. The British Prime Minister, (Adam), is sent a letter by Professor Willingdon (Jones). It is a very straight threat that Willingdon will destroy the centre of London in a week's time, at noon (hence the film title), unless the British government declares that it is to stop all stockpiling of nuclear warheads. Scotland Yard Special Branch Superindendent Folland (Morell) is charged with tracking down Willingdon and stopping him.

Arriving at the (fictitious) Wallingford Research Centre, Folland's team find Willingdon missing, along with a nuclear bomb. Willingdon's assistant Lane (Cross) is recruited to help and they return to London to search for him.

Willingdon, carrying his bomb in a Gladstone bag, finds lodgings with Mrs. Peckitt (Hickson), but spooks her with his constant pacing around his room during the night. The following morning, he leaves early and seeing a 'wanted' poster with his face, disguises himself with a new coat and a quick mostache trim.

Folland's team plan for the worst and get Cabinet approval to evacuate London. Rumours begin to fly that another war is about to be declared, and the Prime Minister agrees to do a radio broadcast to try and quash these, and appeal to Willingdon to given himself up.

The next day, Willingdon's daughter, Ann (Manahan), turns up at Folland's office to demand some answers. Folland tells her all and asks her to stay and help - she may be the only person the professor will listen to.

Mrs. Peckitt reports Willingdon to the Police, thinking that he is a 'landlady murderer' reported in the paper, but a quick-thinking constable realises the description better matches Willingdon and a car is sent to check him.

Unfortunately, Willingdon spots it on his way back to his lodgings and makes a quiet get-away. Driving back to their hotel from the police operations centre, Lane and Ann Wallingdon spot the professor and try to catch him. An updated description is quickly circulated.

That evening, Wallingdon bumps into 'Goldie' (Sloane) whom he met earlier by chance. Without any lodgings, he bluffs his way into using her spare bed for the night. By this time, London is being evacuated and Wallingdon decides to lay low. The troops have begun to search and Goldie's bedsit seems a good place to remain hidden.

The streets cleared, Wallingdon makes his escape and finds his final refuge, a bombed-out church. The net steadily closes and Wallingdon is finally found, praying. Lane, Ann and Folland arrive to try and talk the professor away from his bag. He panics, runs from the church, and is killed by an even more panicking soldier. With seconds to spare, Lane has the bomb defused.

• Barry Jones as Professor Willingdon
• André Morell as Superintendent Folland
• Hugh Cross as Stephen Lane
• Sheila Manahan as Ann Willingdon
• Olive Sloane as Goldie
• Joan Hickson as Mrs. Peckett
• Ronald Adam as The Prime Minister
• Marie Ney as Mrs. Willingdon
• Wyndham Goldie as Vicar
• Russell Waters as Det. Davis

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• Seven Days to Noon at the Internet Movie Database

A DVD release is due September 2007. Currently listed on Amazon for pre-order.