The career of American film director Cy Endfield is similar to that of his contemporary Joseph Losey in that, despite having made some highly-regarded movies in Hollywood, these where so overshadowed by their later, bigger successes in England (to where they both relocated following the McCarthy scourge) that they could well be mistaken for genuine Englishmen! This rugged action film about short-haul truck drivers was the second of 6 collaborations with star Stanley Baker which peaked with the celebrated epic ZULU (1964) which is also Endfield's best-known work. Although probably inspired by the recent international success of Henri-Georges Clouzot's THE WAGES OF FEAR (1953), Endfield's film stands on its own two feet by virtue of its remarkable cast, generally stylish handling and a handful of powerful sequences. Stanley Baker (in his own first starring role as an ex-con) is abetted by Peggy Cummins (as the sultry secretary of the firm), Herbert Lom (as her Italian boyfriend), Patrick McGoohan (in so vivid a characterization as the mean-spirited foreman that he's virtually unrecognizable), Sean Connery, David McCallum (as Baker's crippled brother), Gordon Jackson, Sidney James, Alfie Bass, William Hartnell, Wilfred Lawson (in a notable bit as Baker's cynical trainer) and Jill Ireland (as the local barmaid). Reckless truck driving along perilous roads (where truckers are awarded for the greater number of trips undertaken in a day – with McGoohan's dishonest, and occasionally dangerous, tactics ensuring his superiority every time, until Baker's arrival) take up the bulk of the terrific action scenes but there is also a big brawl between the townspeople and the truckers, a bloody fistfight between Baker and McGoohan (shot for real since they had both been amateur boxers!) and the climactic truck chase leading to a fateful leap off a clifftop. Ironically, given Endfield's origins, the film was trimmed from its original British running time of 108 minutes to 91 when released in the U.S. but, obviously, Network's 2-Disc Set on Region 2 presents the film in its complete form.
LOOKING IN ON "HELL DRIVERS" (Bill Morton, 1957) **1/2
It's indeed rare that a featurette from the time of the original release exists for a movie of this vintage. The so-called "Location Report" has a personality from British TV interviewing cast and crew members at work on the grueling actioner HELL DRIVERS (1957) – a few choice scenes from which are presented here for our benefit – including scriptwriter John Kruse (also author of the source material), director Cy Endfield and lead Stanley Baker. However, we also get the viewpoint of real-life short-haul drivers on the precarious nature of their job – which is appropriate since the film would be noted for its realism.
THE STANLEY BAKER STORY (N/A, 1958) **1/2
This 16-minute piece finds the sturdy Welsh actor at 30 discussing his (up to that point) already considerable 16-year acting career. In films, he had started out in small parts or villains but would slowly graduate to men-of-action and/or romantic leads. He proves an affable guest and erudite speaker, belying the rebellious working-class types he often played; during the course of the featurette, whose source is not credited on Network's "Special Edition" release of HELL DRIVERS (1957) – one of the star's more notable efforts from this era – we're treated to scenes from that film and two more of Baker's actioners, namely VIOLENT PLAYGROUND and Cy Endfield's SEA FURY (both 1958). His subsequent filmography (including work for auteurs like Joseph Losey, not to mention turning producer) would only further elevate his stature; sadly, he would die in 1976 at only 49 years of age.
RETURN TO THE RHONDDA (Colin Voisey, 1965) **
The Rhondda Valley is synonymous with Wales' coal-mining industry; this 37-minute documentary, hosted by countryman Donald Houston, is a valediction to the place and its people. Though it certainly makes for a decent educational piece, unfortunately, the end product is rather dull – despite the brief amicable participation of fellow Welshman Stanley Baker; an interesting sideline here is the fact that the only escape for young men from the grime of the coal-pits was either boxing or acting: Baker, in fact, would try both but obviously settled for the latter. Of course, equally redolent of the country are the pubs and the heartfelt singing (which we get plenty of here); still, perhaps the best moments in the short are devoted to the long-running miners' strikes (naturally over better working conditions) which often saw them clashing violently with the police.
LOOKING IN ON "HELL DRIVERS" (Bill Morton, 1957) **1/2
It's indeed rare that a featurette from the time of the original release exists for a movie of this vintage. The so-called "Location Report" has a personality from British TV interviewing cast and crew members at work on the grueling actioner HELL DRIVERS (1957) – a few choice scenes from which are presented here for our benefit – including scriptwriter John Kruse (also author of the source material), director Cy Endfield and lead Stanley Baker. However, we also get the viewpoint of real-life short-haul drivers on the precarious nature of their job – which is appropriate since the film would be noted for its realism.
THE STANLEY BAKER STORY (N/A, 1958) **1/2
This 16-minute piece finds the sturdy Welsh actor at 30 discussing his (up to that point) already considerable 16-year acting career. In films, he had started out in small parts or villains but would slowly graduate to men-of-action and/or romantic leads. He proves an affable guest and erudite speaker, belying the rebellious working-class types he often played; during the course of the featurette, whose source is not credited on Network's "Special Edition" release of HELL DRIVERS (1957) – one of the star's more notable efforts from this era – we're treated to scenes from that film and two more of Baker's actioners, namely VIOLENT PLAYGROUND and Cy Endfield's SEA FURY (both 1958). His subsequent filmography (including work for auteurs like Joseph Losey, not to mention turning producer) would only further elevate his stature; sadly, he would die in 1976 at only 49 years of age.
RETURN TO THE RHONDDA (Colin Voisey, 1965) **
The Rhondda Valley is synonymous with Wales' coal-mining industry; this 37-minute documentary, hosted by countryman Donald Houston, is a valediction to the place and its people. Though it certainly makes for a decent educational piece, unfortunately, the end product is rather dull – despite the brief amicable participation of fellow Welshman Stanley Baker; an interesting sideline here is the fact that the only escape for young men from the grime of the coal-pits was either boxing or acting: Baker, in fact, would try both but obviously settled for the latter. Of course, equally redolent of the country are the pubs and the heartfelt singing (which we get plenty of here); still, perhaps the best moments in the short are devoted to the long-running miners' strikes (naturally over better working conditions) which often saw them clashing violently with the police.