A squad of British soldiers, lost in the Burmese jungle during World War II, comes across a Japanese-occupied village. After a short battle, the British capture the village and also take prisoner a suspicious character, who Captain Langford is convinced is a paid informer for the Japanese. Initially, the man will not talk, but after Langford has had two innocent hostages shot to demonstrate his determination, he reveals the plans for a Japanese advance. Langford resolves that the information must at all costs be got to British headquarters, but the execution of the hostages provokes a bitter quarrel over the methods Langford is prepared to go to to attain his ends….
Production Details
A Hammer film production released by Columbia Pictures
Copyright MCMLIX by Hammer Film Productions Ltd. – All rights reserved
MPAA Approved Certificate No. 19316
All characters and incidents portrayed and the names used are fictitious
Westrex Recording System
Black & White 95 mins
Filming Began: 13th January 1959
UK Release: 19th October 1959
Studios:
Bray Studios, Down Place, Oakley Green, Berkshire
Shepperton Studios, Shepperton, Surrey
Stills from film
Click an image for enlarged slideshow
Cast & Crew
Red = Uncredited
Crew | Name | Age at Release | Birth | Death | Age | Hammer Credits | Uncredited | Total Hammer | |
Art Director | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/don-mingaye/# | 30 | 1929 | 8 Nov 2017 | 88 | 28 | 15 | 43 | |
Assistant Director | John Peverall | 28 | 1931 | 3 Oct 2009 | 78 | 21 | 21 | ||
Boom Operator | Peter Dukelow | 32 | 1927 | 1998 | 71 | 1 | 1 | ||
Camera Operator | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/len-harris/# | 43 | 19 May 1916 | 21 Feb 1995 | 78 | 63 | 2 | 65 | |
Casting | Dorothy Holloway | 61 | 7 Mar 1898 | 1972 | 73 | 4 | 6 | 10 | |
Clapper Loader | Alan McDonald | 21 | 1938 | 01.01.1938 | 86 | 14 | 14 | ||
Construction Manager | Jack Bolam | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Continuity | Beryl Booth | 35 | 18 Dec 1923 | 2015 | 91 | 2 | 2 | ||
Director | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/val-guest/# | 47 | 11 Dec 1911 | 10 May 2006 | 94 | 30 | 30 | ||
Director of Photography | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/arthur-grant/# | 44 | 1915 | 1972 | 57 | 34 | 34 | ||
Editor | Alfred Cox | 34 | 1925 | 2005 | 80 | 21 | 5 | 26 | |
Electrician | S.F. Hyllier | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Floor Props | Tom Frewer | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Focus Puller | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/harry-oakes/# | 38 | 16 Jan 1921 | 11 Dec 2012 | 91 | 3 | 56 | 59 | |
Grip | Albert Cowlard | 36 | 1923 | 01.01.1923 | 101 | 1 | 10 | 11 | |
Hair Stylist | Henry Montsash | 54 | 17 Sep 1905 | 29 Sep 1974 | 69 | 16 | 16 | ||
Make-up Artist | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/roy-ashton/# | 50 | 16 Apr 1909 | 10 Jan 1995 | 85 | 36 | 4 | 40 | |
Master Carpenter | E.D. Wheatley | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Master Painter | S. Taylor | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Master Plasterer | S. Rodwell | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Producer | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/michael-carreras/# | 31 | 21 Dec 1927 | 19 Apr 1994 | 66 | 98 | 9 | 107 | |
Production Buyer | Eric Hillier | 39 | 1920 | 1975 | 55 | 17 | 17 | ||
Production Designer | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/bernard-robinson/# | 47 | 28 Jul 1912 | 2 Mar 1970 | 57 | 46 | 4 | 50 | |
Production Secretary | Doreen Jones | 33 | 1926 | 01.01.1926 | 98 | 3 | 3 | ||
Production Supervisor | T.S. Lyndon-Haynes | 47 | 17 Oct 1912 | 1972 | 59 | 4 | 4 | ||
Property Master | F. Burden | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Props | Peter Allchorne | 34 | 1925 | 01.01.1925 | 99 | 9 | 9 | ||
Publicist | Colin Reid | 6 | 6 | ||||||
Second Assistant Director | Tom Walls | 47 | 31 May 1912 | 28 Nov 1992 | 80 | 1 | 10 | 11 | |
Sound Camera Operator | Jimmy Dooley | 31 | 1928 | 01.01.1928 | 96 | 1 | 1 | ||
Sound Editor | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/roy-hyde/# | 39 | 15 Feb 1920 | 28 Jun 1985 | 65 | 30 | 1 | 31 | |
Sound Maintenance | Eric Vincent | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Sound Recordist | Buster Ambler | 54 | 7 Jul 1905 | 1979 | 73 | 1 | 1 | ||
Sound Recordist | John Aldred | 38 | Aug 1921 | 15 Dec 2020 | 99 | 1 | 1 | ||
Sound Recordist | Red Law | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Sound Supervisor | John Cox | 51 | 7 May 1908 | Sep 1972 | 64 | 1 | 1 | ||
Special Effects | Bill Warrington | 49 | 1910 | 11 Sep 1981 | 71 | 2 | 2 | 4 | |
Special Effects | Charles Willoughby | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Still Photographer | Tom Edwards | 1999 | 27 | 27 | |||||
Supervising Editor | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/james-needs/# | 40 | 17 Oct 1919 | 4 Feb 2003 | 83 | 113 | 1 | 114 | |
Technical Adviser | Peter Newman | 33 | 4 Jun 1926 | 22 Feb 1975 | 48 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Third Assistant Director | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/hugh-harlow/# | 20 | 17 Jun 1939 | 17.06.1939 | 85 | 6 | 34 | 40 | |
Wardrobe Mistress | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/molly-arbuthnot/# | 50 | 19 Dec 1908 | 31 Oct 2001 | 92 | 48 | 5 | 53 | |
Writer | Peter Newman | 33 | 4 Jun 1926 | 22 Feb 1975 | 48 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Cast | Name | Age at Release | Birth | Death | Age | Hammer Credits | Uncredited | Total Hammer | |
2nd Lieutenant Hastings | Richard Pasco | 33 | 18 Jul 1926 | 12 Nov 2014 | 88 | 4 | 4 | ||
Bendish | Alan Keith | 51 | 19 Oct 1908 | 17 Mar 2003 | 94 | 1 | 1 | ||
Brigadier | Russell Waters | 51 | 10 Jun 1908 | 19 Aug 1982 | 74 | 4 | 4 | ||
Brown | Barry Steele | 38 | 3 Mar 1921 | 30 Sep 1982 | 61 | 2 | 2 | ||
Captain Langford | Stanley Baker | 31 | 28 Feb 1928 | 28 Jun 1976 | 48 | 5 | 5 | ||
Davies | Howard Williams | 27 | 10 May 1932 | 10.05.1932 | 92 | 3 | 2 | 5 | |
Dawson | Bryan Forbes | 33 | 22 Jul 1926 | 8 May 2013 | 86 | 2 | 2 | ||
Doctor | David Oxley | 38 | 7 Nov 1920 | 30 Oct 1985 | 64 | 2 | 2 | ||
Elliott | Donald Churchill | 28 | 6 Nov 1930 | 29 Oct 1991 | 60 | 1 | 1 | ||
Informer | Wolfe Morris | 34 | 5 Jan 1925 | 21 Jul 1996 | 71 | 5 | 5 | ||
Japanese Soldier | Burt Kwouk | 29 | 18 Jul 1930 | 24 May 2016 | 85 | 4 | 4 | ||
Japanese Soldier | Vincent Wong | 31 | 4 Feb 1928 | 13 Mar 2015 | 87 | 4 | 4 | ||
Max | Leo McKern | 39 | 16 Mar 1920 | 23 Jul 2002 | 82 | 2 | 2 | ||
Orderly | Brandon Brady | 28 | 7 Oct 1931 | 1 Jun 1999 | 67 | 1 | 1 | ||
Padre | Guy Rolfe | 47 | 27 Dec 1911 | 19 Oct 2003 | 91 | 2 | 2 | ||
Patrick | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/arthur-lovegrove/# | 46 | 15 Jul 1913 | 7 Nov 1981 | 68 | 3 | 6 | 9 | |
Perkins | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/david-lodge/# | 38 | 19 Aug 1921 | 18 Oct 2003 | 82 | 10 | 10 | ||
Sergeant MacKenzie | Gordon Jackson | 35 | 19 Dec 1923 | 15 Jan 1990 | 66 | 3 | 3 | ||
Simpson | Timothy Bateson | 33 | 3 Apr 1926 | 15 Sep 2009 | 83 | 3 | 1 | 4 | |
Soldier who dies | Geoffrey Bayldon | 35 | 7 Jan 1924 | 10 May 2017 | 93 | 3 | 2 | 5 | |
Suni | Edwina Carroll | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Turner | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/barry-lowe/# | 34 | 1925 | 12 Dec 2011 | 86 | 6 | 2 | 8 | |
Wilson | Percy Herbert | 39 | 31 Jul 1920 | 6 Dec 1992 | 72 | 6 | 6 | ||
Yamazaki | Philip Ahn | 54 | 29 Mar 1905 | 28 Feb 1978 | 72 | 1 | 1 |
Original Poster
Click to enlarge
Footnotes
Hammer’s war films (The Steel Bayonet, The Camp on Blood Island) tended to examine the more controversial aspects of warfare and in this film the unpopular idea is suggested that the British were just as capable of committing atrocities as anyone else!
Actor Guy Rolfe also worked for Hammer in The Stranglers of Bombay (1959). For outrageous director William Castle, he starred in Mr Sardonicus (1961).
Interestingly, this film is probably the only Hammer production to have no musical accompaniment whatsoever. (1967’s The Anniversary, whilst having none during the action, does have music to accompany the opening and closing titles).
Writer Peter R. Newman died of a cerebral haemorrhage at the age of 48.