The Long and the Short and the Tall (1961)
Country: GB
Technical: bw 110m
Director: Leslie Norman
Cast: Richard Todd, Richard Harris, Laurence Harvey, Ronald Fraser, David McCallum
Synopsis:
A small British unit on sonic operations in the Malaysian jungle captures a Japanese patrol member and fights over what to do with him.
Review:
A talkative drama that betrays its theatrical origins and is not helped by mostly studio exteriors. There are some glistening close-ups of characters scarcely able to contain their seething resentment of each other, but it is an over-ripe piece with Todd miscast as a burly sergeant, Harris doing his mockney schtick as a belligerent corp, and Harvey, apparently channelling Kenneth Williams in the meatiest part of Private Bamforth, who is doing his best to get on everyone else's nerves, ours included. Acting honours in fact go to Ronald Fraser as a conflicted jock lance corporal.
Country: GB
Technical: bw 110m
Director: Leslie Norman
Cast: Richard Todd, Richard Harris, Laurence Harvey, Ronald Fraser, David McCallum
Synopsis:
A small British unit on sonic operations in the Malaysian jungle captures a Japanese patrol member and fights over what to do with him.
Review:
A talkative drama that betrays its theatrical origins and is not helped by mostly studio exteriors. There are some glistening close-ups of characters scarcely able to contain their seething resentment of each other, but it is an over-ripe piece with Todd miscast as a burly sergeant, Harris doing his mockney schtick as a belligerent corp, and Harvey, apparently channelling Kenneth Williams in the meatiest part of Private Bamforth, who is doing his best to get on everyone else's nerves, ours included. Acting honours in fact go to Ronald Fraser as a conflicted jock lance corporal.
Country: GB
Technical: bw 110m
Director: Leslie Norman
Cast: Richard Todd, Richard Harris, Laurence Harvey, Ronald Fraser, David McCallum
Synopsis:
A small British unit on sonic operations in the Malaysian jungle captures a Japanese patrol member and fights over what to do with him.
Review:
A talkative drama that betrays its theatrical origins and is not helped by mostly studio exteriors. There are some glistening close-ups of characters scarcely able to contain their seething resentment of each other, but it is an over-ripe piece with Todd miscast as a burly sergeant, Harris doing his mockney schtick as a belligerent corp, and Harvey, apparently channelling Kenneth Williams in the meatiest part of Private Bamforth, who is doing his best to get on everyone else's nerves, ours included. Acting honours in fact go to Ronald Fraser as a conflicted jock lance corporal.