Ice Cold in Alex (1958)

Cafe Society
1

“Thanks to the Daily Mail” isn’t the way I expect to begin many of my posts (well, any of my posts, really), but it’s funny how these things work out sometimes. Thanks to the *Daily Mail *for including this in its recent series of giveaway DVDs of classic British war movies so I could snaffle a copy and finally see the film all the way through - until now I had only seen bits and pieces, including the excellent final scene.

So as not to spoil the plot, I’ll say only that the movie takes place in the darkest days (for the Allies) of the North African campaign in World War II. Excellent performances from the four main cast members (John Mills, Anthony Quayle, Sylvia Sims, Harry Andrews) IMHO, and J. Lee Thompson’s direction keeps the tension going nicely until the resolution in the last scene. To quote from the DVD jacket copy (no plot spoilage involved),

I would definitely recommend this to anyone interested in war movies as a genre, and also to anyone who enjoys good drama, as this is really a drama that takes place in a war setting as opposed to a “war movie” in the classic sense of featuring lots of explosions.

2

I think this is a well-made film.
As you say, it’s not a war film, but a film with a war background.

I get thirsty watching their struggles in the desert!

3

Great film, but at the end when they finally get their beers, did you notice the levels in their glasses keep changing as the camera angles change?

4

I remember reading somewhere that they had to keep retaking that shot. They were using “real” lager and were quite drunk at the end of the shoot.