The Siege of Pinchgut [Four Desperate Men] *** (1959, Aldo Ray, Heather Sears, Neil McCallum) – Classic Movie Review 10,233

In director Harry Watt’s 1959 action crime thriller The Siege of Pinchgut [Four Desperate Men], Aldo Ray stars as a prisoner called Matt Kirk, sent to start a lengthy sentence, who leads a small band of four escaped convicts who take refuge on an island off Sydney Harbour.

Unaware to the four men, it turns out that Fort Denison (also known as Pinchgut) is occupied by caretaker Pat Fulton (Gerry Duggan), his wife (Barbara Mullen) and daughter Ann (Heather Sears). Soon the men are holding the family hostage on the island to try to gain Matt Kirk (Ray) a retrial to clear his name

Kirk and his three accomplices, Matt’s brother Johnny (Neil McCallum), Italian Luke (Carlo Giustini) and Bert (Victor Maddern), train a gun on an ammunition ship to keep the authorities at bay.

The Siege of Pinchgut [Four Desperate Men] is an overlong Ealing Studios thriller, rather stodgily co-scripted and directed by Watt. The thoughtful, issue-laden part of the script soon gives way to formula action adventure, which is only fairly thrill-packed. Nevertheless, it has considerable interest.

The last ever Ealing film, it continued the studio’s fascination with Australia, extensively filmed on location in Sydney, though much of it was filmed in England, at Associated British Picture Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England. However, it shows the postwar view of Sydney, its harbour foreshore and the remains of the Fort Macquarie Tram Depot being demolished for construction of the Sydney Opera House, giving the film historical value.

It is adapted by Harry Watt from an original story by Inman Hunter and Lee Robinson, with a screenplay by Harry Watt and Jon Cleary, with script contribution and additional dialogue by Alexander Baron. The story, originally about two World War Two German POWs who escape and take over Fort Denison, was written a decade earlier by Australian filmmaker Lee Robinson and British editor Inman Hunter in 1949 when they were working in Sydney at the Film Division of the Department of the Interior. But they were unable to raise the necessary finance and their script was sold to Ealing Studios.

Watt, a veteran of two previous films in Australia for Ealing, went to Australia in February 1958 with a 60-page treatment to turn into a full script. He said ‘the story was a hell of a good idea. But it now has a completely different set of characters. So it was no longer about a German POW, but an escaped convict fighting to prove his innocence to an uncaring judicial system. It is basically a character study but it is also an action picture.’

Shooting took place on the fort for three weeks. Producer Eric Williams said: ‘Marvellous setting, this fort. Ideal for a film. It has a real medieval touch.’

Watt said: ‘I have always wanted to make a film of this modern city but it has to appeal to the world.’ Accordingly, an American star was chosen, so Matt and his brother Johnny became Americans. Watt added: ‘I’m making it a sort of international cast because I think that is right now for Australia.’ The main cast were imported, with only support roles given to Australians. Sears and Mullen came from Britain; Duggan was a recent Irish settler in Australia. McCallum was Canadian and Giustini came from Italy.

Also in the cast are Heather Sears, Neil McCallum, Victor Maddern, Carlo Giustini [Carlo Justini], Barbara Mullen, Alan Tilvern, Kenneth J Warren, Richard Vernon, Martin Boddey, Grant Taylor, Fred Abbott, Deryck Barnes, Gerry Duggan, Ewan McDuff, John Pusey, Glyn Houston, Barry Foster and George Woodbridge.

The producers thanked the various Departments of the Government of New South Wales and the Australian Services for the help and co-operation that made this film possible.

The music is played by The Sinfonia of London.

Carlo Giustini was dubbed by Robert Rietty.

The Siege of Pinchgut [Four Desperate Men] is directed by Harry Watt, runs 104 minutes, is made by Associated British Picture Corporation and Ealing Studios, Associated British-Pathé (1959) (UK) and Continental Distributing (1960) (US), is written by Harry Watt screenplay, Jon Cleary screenplay, Alexander Baron (script contribution) (additional dialogue), is shot by Gordon Dines, is produced by Michael Balcon, Eric Williams associate producer and Jon Cleary associate producer, is scored by Kenneth V Jones and is designed by Alan Withy.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 10,233

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