The Firechasers

Filmed for showing as a TV Movie of the Week in the US and as a supporting feature in UK cinemas, this utilized the talents of several former Avengers personnel, director Sidney Hayers, writer Philip Levene, Laurie Johnson with an unmistakable score and Julian Wintle producing. Trademark fast-moving direction of the action scenes from Hayers, with no time wasted on people getting in and out of cars for example. The quirky character played by Roy Kinnear is very Avengers, in fact he'd played similar types in the show. A last appearance from 1930's leading man John Loder, while surprising to see the smooth Allan Cuthbertson, usually seen as one of the officer class, as a firefighter. Not too difficult to guess the identity of the arsonist, but the fires are relatively convincing, though how the hero and heroine emerged with barely singeing their eyebrows is anyone's guess. Good undemanding entertainment nevertheless.

Watchable. Interesting to see old actors much younger. Older style vehicles and fashions. Definitely a programme filler but a good film.

1971 Safe, fun and full of the beautifully scripted people with early 70s gadgets.

What is wrong with people who know how to play songs tapping drinks glasses...pitch perfect.

Never seen Roy K. As a cool post hippy artist. What a treat. Much better than Trip.

Love English girls in Orange faux leather and white boots and orange hat.

Years ago I saw this movie on television here in the United States. Although a fairly standard "private eye investigation - "who done it," the costumes and cinematography were gorgeous. Chad Everett. Anjanette Comer, and Joanne Dainton (where's she been?) never looked better. Chad is at his best playing a calm, self assured, leading man (Joe Gannon on Medical Center, among others). Also, the British have a seemingly inexhaustible supply of great character actors (Roy Kinnear, etc.) who do such great memorable work with small roles. I would like to see this movie released to DVD. Does anyone out there know anything about this possibility?

In reply to an earlier review Network DVD are going to release this on DVD on the 1st November 2010.

I remember seeing this TV movie on ITV one Christmas in the mid 1970s and thought it was fairly reasonable ITC fare. I have to agree with another reviewer that it was not difficult to work out who the culprit was, I can even remember the plot pretty well all these years later. I am looking forward to getting the DVD to see what I think of it some 35 years later. Network are initially releasing 'The Firechasers' as a "web site exclusive" so it won't be available at online stores like Amazon for a while yet.