THE LONG HAUL

Diana Dors and Victor Mature

THE LONG HAUL (1957). Director/co-screenplay: Ken Hughes. Colorized. 

American ex-GI Harry Miller (Victor Mature) lives in England with his wife, Connie (Gene Anderson) and little boy, Butch (Michael Wade). Desperate to find work he comes afoul of crooked trucker, Joe Easy (Patrick Allen of Night Creatures) and Easy's "easy" girlfriend, Lynn (Diana Dors), who transfers her affections to Harry after Joe is brutal with her. Naturally this doesn't sit well with either Connie or Joe. Still Joe, Harry and Lynn wind up driving a truck full of stolen furs to the river for an illicit rendezvous. They've been told they must get on the ship and sail to America with the furs to avoid prosecution, but Harry may not be able to leave his wife and child behind no matter what ...

Patrick Allen with Mature

The Long Haul is a very good example of British film noir with all of the usual elements. Of course these elements -- desperate man pulled into crime, a tug of war between wife and mistress, sexy femme fatale with redeemable features -- are all quite familiar to the viewer, but they are all blended together quite well and bolstered by some fine acting. In the right role, as this is, Mature can certainly deliver and his portrait of this weak, confused man is right on target. Dors proves that she isn't just big breasts and blond hair. Patrick Allen is also terrific as the slimy Joe, calculating the odds until the last. Liam Redmond and Peter Reynolds are also notable as two ill-fated gentlemen, Casey and Lynn's brother, Frank. Trevor Duncan has crafted an exciting score as well. Reynolds and Dors both appeared in Man Bait. Ken Hughes also wrote and directed Heatwave. 

Verdict: Absorbing, well-acted British crime thriller. ***. 

MAN BAIT

MAN BAIT (aka The Last Page/1952). Director: Terence Fisher.

The British film The Last Page was given the zestier title Man Bait  -- with the figure of Diana Dors highlighted in the ads -- when it was released in the U.S. John Harman (George Brent, in one of his last theatrical films) runs a book store in London and cares for his invalid wife (Isabel Dean). He has a loyal assistant named Stella (Marguerite Chapman) and a sexy clerk, Ruby (Diana Dors), who is saucy and always coming in late. A minor incident between the two -- Ruby impulsively kisses John when they're working late in his office -- snowballs into tragedy when Ruby's new friend, the sinister Jeffrey (Peter Reynolds), importunes Ruby to make more of the business and even blackmail her boss. Before long, John is being accused of murder. It seems bizarre that John was planning to take his wife on a holiday, when she proves to be so fatally frail later in the movie. Man Bait holds the attention, but is distinctly minor, although Dors is quite good, as is Reynolds, and Brent and Chapman are more than competent. Eleanor Summerfield also makes an impression as Vi, a woman who is crazy about Jeffrey and jealous of Ruby. This was a Hammer film released and distributed by Lippert in the United States.

Verdict: Competent, if unexciting little programmer. **1/2.