Review of Ice Cold in Alex (1958) by Grant S — 11 Nov 2017

North Africa, WW2. Four British medical staff - a medical unit CO, the unit's sergeant major and two female nurses - are separated from their unit while trying to evacuate from besieged Tobruk in an ambulance. Along the way they pick up a South African infantry officer. With the Germans taking capturing most of their intended escape destinations, their options are few, and fraught with danger. Plus, the South African officer doesn't appear to be who he claims.

Great movie, directed by L Lee Thompson, who went on to direct Cape Fear and The Guns Of Navarone, amongst others. At its most basic it's a pure survival movie - a handful of people in a rickety old truck against the desert. The resourcefulness they show is very interesting and engaging.

Add in the fact that there's a war on, and the story adds another level of drama and danger. Then throw in the intrigue that one of the band is potentially a spy and things get really interesting.

Good work all round from the main cast - John Mills, Sylvia Syms, Harry Andrews and Anthony Quayle.

On the negative side, Thompson's direction is a bit clumsy at times. Some sequences just don't make sense, and overstate the importance of a remark or event. The problem probably lies with the editing, more than anything else.