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IMDb > Ice-Cold in Alex (1958)

Ice-Cold in Alex (1958) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
7.9/10   1,420 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 26% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
J. Lee Thompson
Writers:
Christopher Landon (novel)
Christopher Landon (screenplay)
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Contact:
View company contact information for Desert Attack on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
3 October 1958 (West Germany) more
Genre:
Adventure | War | Drama more
Plot:
A group of army personnel and nurses attempt a dangerous and arduous trek across the deserts of North Africa during the second world war... more | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
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Awards:
Nominated for 3 BAFTA Film Awards. Another 1 win & 1 nomination more
NewsDesk:
John Mills in Award Tribute
 (From WENN. 3 December 2002)

User Comments:
Red hot in Alex more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

John Mills ... Captain Anson
Sylvia Syms ... Sister Diana Murdoch
Anthony Quayle ... Captain van der Poel / Hauptman Otto Lutz
Harry Andrews ... MSM Tom Pugh
Diane Clare ... Sister Denise Norton
Richard Leech ... Captain Crosbie
Liam Redmond ... Brigadier (DDMS)
Allan Cuthbertson ... Brigadier's Staff Officer
David Lodge ... CMP Captain (tank trap)
Michael Nightingale ... CMP Captain (checkpoint)
Basil Hoskins ... CMP Lieutenant (Alexandria)
Walter Gotell ... 1st German Officer
Frederick Jaeger ... 2nd German Officer
Richard Marner ... German Guard
Peter Arne ... British Officer at Oasis
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Desert Attack (USA)
Ice Cold in Alex (UK) (alternative spelling)
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Runtime:
129 min | USA:76 min (1961)
Country:
UK
Language:
English | German
Aspect Ratio:
1.66 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Sound Recording)
Certification:
Iceland:12 | UK:A (1958) (cut) | UK:PG (1988) | USA:Approved (PCA #19618) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
When the ambulance crosses the minefield was just a few notes in the screenplay. It was improvised by director J. Lee Thompson into the tense sequence we see in the film today. more
Goofs:
Continuity: The level of beer in the glasses changes inconsistently between shots when they are finally drinking in Alex more
Quotes:
Capt. Anson: [draining his glass of beer] Worth waiting for. more
Movie Connections:
Featured in War Stories (2006) (TV) more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
7 out of 9 people found the following comment useful:-
Red hot in Alex, 4 May 2004
8/10
Author: henry-girling from London,England

'Ice Cold in Alex' is an absorbing story of a British ambulance trying to get to safety in the North African desert. There is the heat, minefields, enemy troops, more heat, shifting sands and human weaknesses to contend with and at the end of the film (over two hours)one feels exhausted. The main characters are an army captain on the verge of a breakdown, a determined nurse, a solid sergeant major and a South African soldier whom they pick up on the way. With simple heroism they try making their way to their goal, which in this case is a glass of ice cold beer in Alexandria on the coast.

The interplay between the characters and the growing bond they have in adversity is well played by the actors. John Mills' deeply troubled captain is particularly well acted. Harry Andrews, Anthony Quayle and Sylvia Syms are fine too. The other main character is the ambulance itself, gradually coming to pieces on the way, steaming and bumping along.

J. Lee Thompson was a very able director and there are some excellent scenes here. The minefield scene near the beginning and the hill scene near the end are great, tense and emotional. The beer scene is moving and uplifting. The best British films about the Second World War are generally about a small group of ordinary people who faced with crisis and peril just get on with it.

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Message Boards

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Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Snobbery? cazzer-1
Ice Cold in Alex barbara-123
have finally realised what a good film this is thefrogwoman83
Was Carlsberg available in Alex in WW2? colin-barron
Region 1 DVD? paul_johnr
How did the Brits brew up in WW2? loneandersen
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