Ice Cold in Alex

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Based on a slight, real-life anecdote, pic [from Christopher Landon's novel] is the story of a handful of people who drive an ambulance through the mine-ridden, enemy-occupied desert after the collapse of Tobruk in 1942.

Based on a slight, real-life anecdote, pic [from Christopher Landon’s novel] is the story of a handful of people who drive an ambulance through the mine-ridden, enemy-occupied desert after the collapse of Tobruk in 1942.

There are a nerve-strained officer who has taken to the bottle, his tough, reliable sergeant-major, a couple of nurses and a South African officer. Director J. Lee Thompson captures the stark, pitiless atmosphere of the desert superbly. The screenplay skillfully blends excitement, a hint of romance and a fearful sense of danger.

John Mills is the skipper, strained to the limit, who seeks solace in a few swift swigs. This is a credible, edgy performance. Anthony Quayle, as the South African, has a suspect accent but brings a plausible charm to the role. Harry Andrews is first-rate as the sergeant-major. Stripped of any glamor, Sylvia Syms fits snugly into the plot. Diane Clare, a newcomer, plays a frightened nurse who gets bumped off half way through the film.

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Ice Cold in Alex

UK

  • Production: Associated British. Director J. Lee Thompson; Producer W.A. Whittaker; Screenplay T.J. Morrison, Christopher Landon; Camera Gilbert Taylor; Editor Richard Best; Music Leighton Lucas; Art Director Robert Jones
  • Crew: (B&W) Available on VHS. Extract of a review from 1958. Running time: 132 MIN.
  • With: John Mills Sylvia Syms Anthony Quayle Harry Andrews Diane Clare Peter Arne

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