Campbell’s Kingdom ** (1957, Dirk Bogarde, Stanley Baker, Michael Craig, Barbara Murray, James Robertson Justice, Athene Seyler, Mary Merrall) – Classic Movie Review 8683

Director Ralph Thomas’s rugged attempt to make a British Western set in the Canadian Rockies – the 1957 Campbell’s Kingdom – stars Dirk Bogarde as noble Englishman Bruce Campbell, who is the claimant to a mining valley and goes to take ownership of his grandfather’s Canadian land.

All the Brits work extra hard as The Rank Organisation, Betty E Box Productions try to spread their wings abroad for international appeal, though what they should really have been doing is concentrating on British subjects.

Stalwart acting from Bogarde, Barbara Murray, Michael Craig, Stanley Baker, Athene Seyler (as Miss Abigail), James Robertson Justice (as James MacDonald) and Mary Merrall makes the most of Robin Estridge’s rather limp, diffused script, based on a popular novel by Hammond Innes.

Thomas’s direction is rather unfocused and undynamic, somewhat undermining the appeal of the open-air adventure.

It was adapted for the screen with the co-operation of the author.

Weirdly, though set in Canada, Campbell’s Kingdom was mostly shot in the Dolomites mountain region of Italy, where A Farewell to Arms (1957) was also being shot. Cast and crew of both movies would chill together in the evenings after filming. However, some of it was shot in the studio in the UK, and it was billed as ‘A British Film made at Pinewood Studios, London, England.’

Also in the cast are Robert Brown, John Laurie, Sidney James, George Murcell, Roland Brand, Finlay Currie, Peter Illing and Maurice Kaufmann.

Campbell’s Kingdom is directed by Ralph Thomas, runs 102 minutes, is made by The Rank Organisation and Betty E Box  Productions, is written by Robin Estridge, based on the novel by Hammond Innes, is shot in Eastman Color by Ernest Steward, Bob Thompson and Jack Atchelor, is produced by Betty E Box and is scored by Clifton Parker.

Footage from it is used in The Castle of Fu Manchu (1969).

National treasure Sidney James (1913–1976) acted in around 150 films from Black Memory in 1947 to Carry on Dick in 1974.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8683

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com