The Firechasers is a 1971 British crime film directed by Sidney Hayers and starring Chad Everett, Anjanette Comer, and Keith Barron.
While investigating the cause of a series of lethal fires in London, Quentin Barnaby—an American insurance investigator—meets and falls in love with beautiful journalist, Toby Collins, who is also following the fires. Pooling information with Toby and her photographer Jim Maxwell, Barnaby hopes to identify the arsonist before he can strike again.
Tropes:
- Camera Fiend: Jim Maxwell carries a camera with him everywhere he goes, and snaps anything that catches his attention. He explains to Toby how a photo is a moment frozen in time, and that no two photos are ever exactly the same.
- Clock Discrepancy: Barnaby is examining the photographs of the fires and realises that one of the photos taken by Jim Maxwell is missing. When he tracks it down, he discovers that the photo shows the clock on the factory, and the time reveals that the photo was taken before the alarm was raised, meaning the photographer was on the scene when the fire started.
- Elevator Failure: During the finale, Toby goes down into the basement in an attempt to turn the sprinkler system back on. However, the elevator breaks down, stranding her in the burning building.
- Failed Pilot Episode: Was originally made as a pilot for a television series based on the radio drama Destination - Fire!. The Persuaders! got the green light instead. The Firechasers was later released theatrically in the UK as the supporting feature to Carry On Henry.
- False Confession: A woman calls Quentin to confess to being the firebug. However, when he confronts her she claims to have lit the most recent fire in the basement of the building, and Quentin knows the building didn't have a basement. The police later tell him that they know the woman and that she calls up about once a week to confess to whatever the latest major crime in the news is.
- Gender-Blender Name: Despite the name, Intrepid Reporter Toby Collins is a woman. Oddly, not one character ever comments on it or is surprised that Toby is female.
- Intrepid Reporter: Toby Collins is a beautiful, persistent reporter who, with press photographer Jim Maxwell, is always the first on the scene of a series of fires ravaging London. One after another, the infernos rage out of control before the fire service arrives. Toby believes an arsonist is to blame, but without any proof she has no story to write.
- Job Title: The movie is about people who chase fires.
- Pyromaniac: An insurance investigator and a journalist hunt a serial arsonist who is setting a string of fires across London.
- Stalker Shrine: Maxwell has a hidden wall covered in photographs of Toby.
- Stalker with a Crush: The arsonist is obsessed with Toby and is starting the fires so she will have a hot story to report on.
