Chanced across this on a classic movies channel yesterday, starred Victor Mature and Diana Dors, worth a watch if you can find it and are fed up on lockdown. A by-product of the second half of the film was a testament to the ruggedness of the 0600 Leyland Octopus; negotiating rock strewn tracks, wading across rivers, fighting up gravel/mud river banks and running to the end as a seven wheeler. Interesting to think how a modern truck would fare. I also found a 1956 archive CM road-test of the Octo, it seemed to come out very well, one of the best trucks going at the time? As tested with the standard 0600 engine top speed was 32mph, or 37 with the optional 0680, which came in in 1955 I think.
That Octopus was from Leyland’s own “shopping fleet”, and was later written off after catching fire.
CM’s take on the film and the Octopus:
This is about to start on Sony movies classic ch 50 freeview
I’ve got this copied but watched the last hour tonight, the film has been shown a few times lately, sometimes on Channel 81 too. I’ve read a more detailed article on the film in the Classic and Vintage mags and the author of that said there were two Leylands used, one later destroyed in a fire but the other carried on working for a company, I might still have the magazine. There are two different registrations shown in the pics above. They used stand ins a lot for the Highland scenes more noticeable where Joe Easy is in the river guiding the Leyland and plain to see it wasn’t Patrick Allen. I suppose for the time it was a dramatic and exciting film but a little unbelievable too but that’s showbiz! Franky.
I watched this last night, as an ‘afficianado’ of forties and fifties films for many years and owning countless books on the subject this film had somehow passed me by. It was Patrick Allen’s first film and he did well in it, Robert Mitchum was the original choice to play the part that Victor Mature had, but Mature was already in Britain filming, plus he had driven trucks for his father’s company before becoming an actor so got the part.
The author of the book that the film is based on spent a lot of time travelling the roads studying drivers, cafes and clearing houses etc to research it.
Victor Mature was a far better actor than folk gave him credit for, he made some good thrillers in the 40’s and was brilliant as ‘Doc’ Holliday in Gunfight at the OK Coral, but he rarely had good press reviews. He described himself as a golfer who acted to fund his pastime, he brought a lot of property and was very wealthy. He famously tried to join an exclusive Country Club in the USA but they rejected him as they didn’t accept actors. He wrote back: “Hell, I’m no actor and I have over 60 film reviews to prove it”, brilliant!
One piece of irony: the actress who played his wife suffered a brain hemorage at the age of 34 and died, in the film her son suffered one as well after his fall which briefly reunited the family. 
A lot of loose ends though, her brother’s body, was it found? Likewise Patrick Allen’s character? What was the driver actually arrested for, just being part of a theft/deception?
Pete.
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And despite Diana Dors’ obvious attributes she was a decent actress. Only a couple of weekends ago in the Saturday edition of The Telegraph columnist Simon Heffer, who is very good with British Films of that era, was describing another of Diana’s 1950’s films. In the making of this film she was late on set for a scene so the director sent someone to find her, she had last been seen with her then husband. The ‘searcher’ went towards her Rolls Royce, which was gently rocking, so he left her to it. Quarter of an hour later Diana appeared for her scene, immaculately dressed, perfectly made-up, and lines perfect. Simon Heffer also commented on her acting ability as being very good.
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She was a brilliant actress with a sad end alas. Real name Diana Fluck of course, she said she changed it incase her name was in lights above a theatre and one of the bulbs blew! 
Sadly Diana’s youngest son Jason Lake died last year aged 50. When Alan Lake was imprisoned in Stafford prison Diana moved to the Derbyshire/Staffordshire area and was often see in her car around the Ashbourne area.
Going back to the film and dodgy bosses: my father used to tell me of when he drove for Thermalite in Reading back in the late fifties he would often overnight in Sheffield and visited a pub in the Neepsend/Hillsborough area. He said that there was usually a very well dressed chap sitting at a table drinking whisky all night and one evening two battered Bedford tippers pulled up outside and two drivers who were fithy and looked like they hadn’t slept for a week walked in. They asked this chap for their wages and he said that he couldn’t afford to pay them this week but if they did a full weekend for him he might be able to pay them the following week! He offered them a whisky apiece, they drank it and got back in the Bedfords. Dad always remembered the smirk on this chaps face when they left and went back to his drinking again, apparently he pulled this trick on a regular basis with different drivers. 
Pete.
47 years ago I was an apprentice mechanic for JL Cooper Stoke on Trent , there was a pub over the road the Foxley, lads used to send me for ■■■■ ,pies,crisps etc.One day off I go with my list in I strolls landlady didn’t like anyone in overalls I can hear her muttering under her breath, while she’s serving me I turned around and had to look twice Diana Dors sitting about 6 feet away very glamorous, she smiled at this 16 year old me made my day, Rolls Royce outside white DD1 number plate, apparently Alan Lakes family were from Milton.
I’ve a soft spot for Diana – when my late big brother came out of the REME in 1957 he got a job driving a van for Harrods on the suburban deliveries, Weybridge area. DD was one of his regular customers, always gave him a cup of tea. I went with him once, I’d have been 9 at the time, she took us into her kitchen, gave Fred his tea and squeezed some oranges for me, I remember I was impressed, only ever seen orange juice in a bottle! 
Our first telly came from her, brother delivered a new one and she asked him if he’d be kind enough to get rid of the old one - straight round to our house on his way back to Knightsbridge. Tiny little B/W screen in a fancy wooden case. As we were one of the few in the street to have one, I remember some of the neighbours crowding round to watch the cup final while father had to keep fiddling with the indoor aerial to keep the picture.
Bernard
cav551:
CM’s take on the film and the Octopus:
The brake fade test was driving down Parbold Hill at 20mph, in top gear, using only the service brakes to hold the vehicle at that speed. I wonder when they stopped doing that test, and why?