Hell Drivers

[Midwich cuckoo]

The colour of the Dodge 123's was Green with black wings,loaned from Drinkwater construction in London.

I have spoken to a gent who lives near Billet Lane and he categorically remembers them being 'dark bottle green.' He also confirms Grockles and auto's assertions that they were Drinkwater trucks. Gentleman in question ran a haulage business in the area and still has a collection of vintage trucks today. He was in no doubt whatsoever. It's amazing then, how many other 'cast iron' recollections there are of them being different colours and from different companies!

Personally though, I'm convinced by dark green and Drinkwaters. No question. Deffo.,....... er

[Moor Larkin]

Personally though, I'm convinced by dark green and Drinkwaters. No question.

Unfortunately, the side of the trucks said Hawletts......

Haul....... Let's...

So..... maybe not........

[Midwich cuckoo]

Yeah but Moor, that was jus pretend,... for the film,....

Who's the handsome and proud chap in front of his...er yellow? Dodge?

[Moor Larkin]

Yeah but Moor, that was jus pretend,... for the film,....

Well, if Drinkwaters were a local firm, the last thing they would want is for local people to pass the filming locations and think, "Look at those Drinkwater trucks breaking the speed limits"..... So they would want them to be resprayed for the movie it seems to me (they would have had had to be to have HaulLet's on the side anyhow)..... Someplace in all these threads there is a guy who recalls a red truck being parked outside a cinema for a premiere of the movie, back in the day, so if they were *meant* to be red - in a black and white movie - then red they should be accepted as...... ..... If only there had been a piece of dialogue to pinpoint it......

Who's the handsome and proud chap in front of his...er yellow? Dodge?

I call him Red...

[wahian]

The swapping of fleet numbers between the trucks seems to go on continuously through the film; fleet numbers 1,3, and 13 in particular. The spare truck at the start I think is also Red’s truck; the only one that shows a 20 mph speed limit badge on it’s right rear mudguard, as the spare truck does.
I think there’s two sets for Hawlett’s truck yard; one at Pinewood and the other in Sussex where a 2nd unit film crew seem to be filming. Stanley Hosgood is listed as the 2nd Unit Director; when Lucy is typing out the driver’s daily load sheet, there’s an S Hosgood shown amongst the driver’s names. How many other of those driver’s names have been taken from the production crew having a little joke ?
At the end during the truck duel, it’s clearly evident the filming cuts between location quarry shots, studio shots, and two model trucks. Wonder what happened to the 2 models?
At the building site, the plant used is from Mackay Industrial Equipment Ltd. of Feltham. Does this give us a clue the building site wasn’t too far away from there? The company was sold in 1966 and the buildings and land in Feltham sold to the National Coal Board.
When Tom goes to visit his brother Jimmy, the newsagents used is that of George Adnam of 331 Brentford High St. The trolley bus he gets off is going to Hounslow from Shepherd’s Bush.

[Moor Larkin]

The swapping of fleet numbers between the trucks seems to go on continuously through the film; fleet numbers 1,3, and 13 in particular.

Wasn't that part of the plot? ..........

Great post wahian. Earlier in this Thread or maybe another on the same subject, there's a guy called biffo who made perhaps the most comprehensive analysis of some of the thngs you've referred to.

[wahian]

I did read through Biffer's postings and the others too, of course. I would say all the interior scenes,plus the outside of the Pull In cafe, are all Pinewood sets. The service pickup truck in Hawlett's yard does appear to be an old Standard Vanguard. Was going to have a look at the roads used between Langley and Iver to get some photos today. Used to deliver around there in the early 70s, but can't remember how they looked; but do recall the M4 stopped at either Maidenhead or Slough West where you had to go back on the A4 Bath Rd. c.1969/70.

[Mr Oracle]

There was at the time a tipper operator called HAWLEY'S which is rather interesting, though in the area where they were filming in part there was also the famous HALL & CO. However I have always thought it was a pun on 'Haul-It'.

The trolleybus on the 607 to Hounslow (Duke of Wellington) brings back a lot of memories from when we lived in Feltham...the trolleys turned round in a small road opposite the pub. Behind the wall in Brentford High Street was the North Thames Gas Board gasworks.

[wahian]

Went up along the roads from Langley to Iver and you can still drive along about 90% of the route in the opening sequence; the current B470 crosses through the middle of their route. So, today----after canal bridge, turn left into Trenches Lane; bear right and then sharp left up to junction; turn right which brings you back to the current B470. Need to cross it, but now a staggered junction into Hollow Hill Rd, and along there, the truck passes the parked Austin A30 in the road. Turn left into Langley Park Rd starts the run up to the pub; the current B470 now runs alongside to the left. Although they don't anymore, this road effectively joins up with the current B470 just as they both get to the pub. The driveway into the pub/ Holly Bush Lane and a tiny bit of the pub car park, appear to be part of the older road in the film, and then turn left into Woods Lane to fade out in the film. Thus, the present B470 crosses their route twice; half way along it, and then just before they get to the bend where the bus is parked, and today bearing right into the pub car park, you're on the old road which looks as though its disappeared. It runs around a small green outside the pub and into their car park as a continuation of it.

[wahian]

You can see the revised road layout by the pub/ B470 here
Hell Drivers, Red Lion, Iver. | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Where the film road meets the new one must be very close to where this photo was taken as it crosses from the right side back over to the left side of the B470.
Here's Trenches Lane today as seen in the film.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/31284687@N05/5395195597/

[Moor Larkin]

[RogerThornhill]

I have been thinking of buying a DVD copy so I looked it up on Amazon. The "Special Edition" is listed from two sellers who are both asking for £48. The other edition is offered at £11.99 by Amazon and under £10 by various sellers. The ordinary edition has two discs whereas the "Special Edition" has one, the reviews are the same and list the same extras. Please can someone tell me what are the differences between the two editions?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_...x=hell+drivers

[tavistock]

There has been some debate on the two different DVDs on this site (you can search for the thread). One dvd was released some years before the present Network ' special edition'. I'm sure I paid not much more than £7 for mine and the cheapest I've seen it for now is £9.99 on Ebay. I can't believe the earlier DVD is worth the additional expense.

[RogerThornhill]

Thanks tavistock.

[mariocki]

The Network one is the one to go for if you can find it. I got mine for £4 but the Sony warehouse fire has seen prices rocket.

[Dame Starry]

I have been thinking of buying a DVD copy so I looked it up on Amazon. The "Special Edition" is listed from two sellers who are both asking for £48. The other edition is offered at £11.99 by Amazon and under £10 by various sellers. The ordinary edition has two discs whereas the "Special Edition" has one, the reviews are the same and list the same extras. Please can someone tell me what are the differences between the two editions?

Amazon.co.uk: hell drivers special edition Film & TV

The 'Special Edition' is a 2-disc version by Network that has a lot of features listed: Hell Drivers - 2 Disc Special Edition £11-99 @ play.com where it has 6 x 5* reviews.

[Moor Larkin]

The 'Special Edition' is a 2-disc version by Network that has a lot of features listed

and has the right coloured trucks



I have the earlier Carlton dvd, which carries the same two documentaries that appear on the Network dvd set, but not some of the other material, and certainly not the padding of an episode of Danger Man and an old TV film starring Stanley Baker, which itv have since put free, on youtube:

[VeeFourTee]

I have always loved this film, watched it again recently and have now discovered this forum! What a fantastic film and thread.

My thanks to all of you who have contributed such detail.

Now I must get back to work!

[Expat]

I have now lived in the South of France for 31 yrs & had never seen this film until last year when it was shown in English(with French subtitles)on one of the French TV Cinema Channels & I was able to record it !
Going back many many years,I had just started at Pinewood as a production runner when this was being filmed & I can confirm that the Hawley trucks were dark green,a lot of the 2nd unit shots were in filmed in the lanes near Pinewood-the RollsRoyce Camera Car used to set off each morning at about 8.30am from outside the Admin Block-The final shots were filmed at Clayton Hill in Sussex & intercut with model shots of the hillside & chalk pit with model lorries for the final crash filmed on a large Model on the north back lot-Hawleys Yard was also built there & the Workmans entrance also was used & yes,Stanley Hosgood was the also 1st Asst director,hence the joke-Cy Enfield liked his little hints,on another Pinewood Film of his,'Sea Fury' starring also Stanly Baker,Victor MacGlagen with small parts played by Robert Shaw & Rupert Davies before they became famous!!!(I was the production runner,)Stanley Hosgood was also the 1st Asst Director-I can still remember to this day Cy always calling out 'Stanley Hosgood,Ive got a P.O.V'(Point of View!)in his distinct accent & the 'sinking ship' sequence was also shot on the North Lot & the ship was called 'the City of Scranton'-Cy Enfields home town in USA!

[Moor Larkin]

Now that is what I call an expert reply.....

That shall be printed and stuck in my scrap book.......