Originally released as simply The Diamond and known as Britain’s first 3-D movie, this 1954 action-thriller was actually only shown in 3-D once, at a restoration screening in 2006.
Shot on a specially-created camera rig (known as the “Spacemaster”), it was most likely intended to have been shown at the Telecinema on the Southbank in London, a space designed for the Festival of Britain to show off the burgeoning 3-D film technology.
American federal agent Joe Dennison (Dennis O’Keefe) travels to London searching for a gang of American crooks who stole a million dollars from a US Treasury vault and killed his partner before fleeing to England.
Dennison teams up with Inspector “Mac” McClaren of Scotland Yard (Philip Friend) and the two detectives also hunt for missing atomic scientist Dr Eric Miller (Paul Hardtmuth), who is believed to be involved in a ring handling fake diamonds.
Dennison and McClaren discover that solving both crimes may rest with the scientist’s daughter Marline (Margaret Sheridan).
As well as starring in the film, Dennis O’Keefe also directed and wrote the original story (under the pseudonym Jonathan Rix).
Joe Dennison
Dennis O’Keefe Marline Miller
Margaret Sheridan Inspector Hector ‘Mac’ McClaren
Philip Friend Thompson Blake
Alan Wheatley Yeo
Francis De Wolff Hunziger
Eric Berry Sgt. Smith
Gudrun Ure Dr Eric Miller
Paul Hardtmuth Sir Stafford Beach
Colin Tapley Commander Gilles
Donald Gray Castle
Cyril Chamberlain Hoxie
Michael Balfour Lascelles
Seymour Green
Shot on a specially-created camera rig (known as the “Spacemaster”), it was most likely intended to have been shown at the Telecinema on the Southbank in London, a space designed for the Festival of Britain to show off the burgeoning 3-D film technology.
Joe Dennison
