Basil Dearden

Dead of Night -- Exploring themes sparked in MANHUNTER, the 1986 Michael Mann film

A spectacular historical epic set in 1885... Commanded by a determined religious leader called "The Mahdi" (Laurence Olivier), 80,000 fierce Sudanese warriors massacre 8,000 untrained, British-led Egyptian troops in the desert, 100 miles beyond Khartoum. British Prime Minister Gladstone (Sir Ralph Richardson) learns of the slaughter and that The Mahdi is determined to claim the great city of Khartoum to prove his divine mission and power. General Charles "Chinese" Gordon (Charlton Heston) is persuaded to try to make peace. He must also find a way to evacuate the Egyptian army defending Khartoum and protect its inhabitants. Directed by Basil Dearden. The stunning action sequences were directed by Yakima Canutt.

Basil Dearden directs this caper comedy that follows veteran con man Silas (Richard Attenborough), his lover Liz (Alexandra Stewart) and their young protégé Bob (David Hemmings) as they trot the globe, swindling African militants and other high-profile marks out of their cash. But tension among the three crooks grows when Bob decides he would make a better criminal leader than the aging Silas -- as well as a more virile boyfriend for Liz.

This gritty thriller -- which heavily influenced later crime dramas such as Jack Webb's "Dragnet" -- focuses on interrelated episodes in the lives of several London policemen, including veteran bobby George Dixon (Jack Warner). When the seasoned officer is murdered by a pair of lowlife hoodlums (Dirk Bogarde and Patric Doonan), rookie cop Andy Mitchell (Jimmy Hanley) helps nail the killers in this BAFTA winner for Best Film.