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Ice Cold in Alex

From Alfawiki
Associated British Picture Corporation
IndustryFilm production and distribution
Headquarters
United Kingdom
ProductsMotion pictures

Ice Cold in Alex is a British war motion picture from 1958, set against the backdrop of the Western Desert campaign during World War II. It is adapted from a novel authored by Christopher Landon. The movie was directed by J. Lee Thompson and features John Mills in a leading role. It received accolades at the 8th Berlin International Film Festival. In 1961, a condensed 79-minute edition named Desert Attack was distributed in the United States. Film analyst Craig Butler later criticized this version as lacking coherence.

Plot

Captain Anson leads a British RASC Motor Ambulance Company stationed in Tobruk, grappling with the effects of combat exhaustion and alcohol dependency. As Axis troops close in on Tobruk, Anson and the majority of his unit retreat towards Alexandria. During their withdrawal, Anson, MSM Tom Pugh, along with nurses Diana Murdoch and Denise Norton become separated while traveling in an Austin K2/Y ambulance called Katy. They resolve to cross the desert to reach British-controlled territory.

Along the way, they meet Captain van der Poel, a South African officer carrying a sizable backpack. After displaying two bottles of gin to Anson, van der Poel convinces them to allow him to join their expedition.

The group confronts multiple obstacles including navigating through a minefield, repairing a broken suspension spring—where van der Poel’s physical strength proves crucial—and enduring the severe conditions of the Qattara Depression. They encounter patrols from the Afrika Korps on two occasions; during one skirmish, Norton sustains fatal injuries. Feeling responsible, Anson vows to abstain from alcohol until they reach Alexandria. Van der Poel, who speaks German fluently, manages to persuade the German troops to let them proceed, revealing the contents of his backpack during their second encounter.

Doubts arise concerning van der Poel’s backpack. Pugh detects irregularities in his conduct and later uncovers that the pack contains a radio device. They deduce that van der Poel is probably a German spy but decide against confronting him directly. Van der Poel’s strength once more assists their journey when Katy must be manually cranked up a sand dune.

As they approach Alexandria, the group agrees not to witness van der Poel’s execution. Anson informs Military Police that van der Poel is a surrendered German soldier under parole. They share a beer together before Military Police officers arrive to take him into custody. Anson insists that van der Poel be treated as a prisoner of war rather than as a spy.

Van der Poel discloses his true identity as Hauptmann Otto Lutz of the 21st Panzer Division. Pugh removes Lutz’s counterfeit South African dog tags just before police intervene. They part with mutual respect, with Lutz acknowledging that their common adversary has been the desert itself.

Cast

Production

The movie is based on the 1957 novel Ice Cold in Alex and its serialized version, Escape in the Desert, which appeared in the Saturday Evening Post. The screenplay alters the narrative focus by centering on Anson instead of Pugh as the main character. ABPC secured the rights and appointed T. J. Morison to work on the screenplay treatment under the guidance of Walter Mycroft.

Richard Todd turned down a leading role, expressing his weariness of military characters and doubting the story's credibility.

Initially, filming was intended to take place in Egypt but was shifted to Libya due to the Suez Crisis. Production began on 10 September 1957.

Sylvia Syms recounted the severe desert environment during shooting, emphasizing that such authenticity improved the actors' performances. She remembered a hazardous ambulance scene filmed without safety precautions, which led to friction with director J. Lee Thompson, known for his demanding style. The difficult quicksand scene was filmed in a freezing artificial bog at Elstree Studios, proving strenuous for Quayle and Mills. Syms earned £30 per week but made additional income from a Carlsberg advertisement linked to the film. Veterans of desert warfare commended its genuine depiction of soldiers, which Syms regarded as a source of pride.

At that period, other British productions filmed in Africa included No Time to Die, Nor the Moon by Night, and The Black Tent.

Music

Despite some assertions that music was sparse, the film contains substantial dramatic scoring. Leighton Lucas composed a prominent military march named "The Road to Alex," which functioned as the principal theme, complemented by a "Romance" piece.

Box office

The film ranked among the top twelve British box office hits in 1958, alongside other war films such as The Bridge on the River Kwai, Dunkirk, and Carve Her Name with Pride. According to Kinematograph Weekly, it was commercially successful and considered "in the money" during that year’s UK box office season.

Awards

The movie earned several honors:

  • Winner of the FIPRESCI Award at the Berlin International Film Festival
  • Nominated for multiple BAFTA Awards including Best Film, Best British Film, Best Actor (Anthony Quayle), and Best British Screenplay (T. J. Morrison)
  • Nominated for the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival

Legacy

This production remains one of actress Sylvia Syms’s most notable credits.

Home media

A Blu-ray restoration for Region B/2 was released in the United Kingdom on 18 February 2018. An earlier restored Region B/2 edition had been issued on 11 September 2011. In March 2020, Film Movement Classics distributed a Region A/1 Blu-ray (North America) version as part of a five-film collection titled Their Finest Hour 5 British War Classics.

Lager advertisement

The final scene featuring Mills’s character enjoying a glass of lager was repurposed for beer commercials during the 1980s. Filmed weeks after principal photography at Elstree, genuine lager was used for realism, requiring Mills to consume several glasses on set.

Sylvia Syms explained that Danish beer Carlsberg was selected to avoid showing German lager, reflecting that Britain and Germany were adversaries during the film’s timeframe. The original novel mentioned Rheingold beer, an American brand despite its German-sounding name.

In the late 1980s, footage from the film appeared in German Holsten Pils lager advertisements, combining original scenes with new inserts featuring British comedian Griff Rhys Jones and concluding with "A Holsten Pils Production." In response, Carlsberg utilized clips of Mills drinking from a Carlsberg-branded glass followed by their slogan variation: "Still probably the best lager in the world."

Further reading

  • Rated 3 out of 4 stars.
  • Rated 3 out of 5 stars.

External links

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