The two biggest hits of Warwick Films early days were both World War Two movies about successful true-life British raids. Indeed, you wonder why they didn’t repeat the formula – surely there were more in history for them to use? (Although they did adapt history for other films eg Zarak Kahn, Killers of Kilimanjaro).
Like The Red Beret, this has an imported American star who clashes on screen with his British co-star – here Jose Ferrer and Trevor Howard. It’s hard to remember that Jose Ferrer was a genuine film star in the early 1950s – he featured in a number of hits off the back of a series of big Broadway successes. (A series of flops in the late 50s changed his position). He plays an unconventional, laid-back officer of the marines who clashes with the more by-the-book Howard – a stock clash, but it serves to give some drama.
Ferrer is okay – not as good as Howard, but then Howard gets a big monologue about his life and career (his frustration at not being promoted) whereas Ferrer doesn’t. The support cast includes Anthony Newley, who made a number of films of Warwick, and some females in small roles.
Ferrer does let the side down with his direction, which misses a lot of the excitement in what is a terrific story. There’s too much wacka-wacka comedy during the training sequences (was this the work of Bryan Forbes or Richard Maibaum? It’s not typical of either man, but it feels more English so I’m guessing Forbes).
Maybe it’s not all Ferrer’s fault – there’s music slathered all over the final raid when a bit of silence and suspense would have done the world of good. At the ending when three-quarters of the team are executed you don’t really feel anything – it’s like, they’re shot, it’s over, Ferrer and Anthony Newley just stroll down the street without a care in the world. It’s a shame – they should remake it.
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