Yangtse Incident: The Story of HMS Amethyst [Battle Hell] *** (1957, Richard Todd, William Hartnell, Akim Tamiroff, Donald Houston, Keye Luke) – Classic Movie Review 6543

Director Michael Anderson’s meticulously crafted 1957 true-story account of the crippled British warship HMS Amethyst’s escape through heavy fire from being trapped on Yangtse River by the Red Chinese in 1949 is based on the book by Laurence Earl.

Richard Todd, effectively reunited with his director on The Dam Busters (1954), looks suitably stern and heroic as real-life Royal Navy Lieutenant Commander Kerans (who is the movie’s technical adviser).

William Hartnell and Donald Houston play cheerful leading crewmen, Leading Seaman Frank and Lieutenant Weston, while Robert Urquhart plays RAF Flight Lieutenant Fearnley. James Kenney, Richard Leech, Michael Brill play other Royal Navy Lieutenants. Akim Tamiroff plays a typically wicked warlord, Colonel Peng and Keye Luke plays Captain Kuo Tai.

Eric Ambler’s stirring screenplay is realised with realistic shipshape direction that packs a full cargo of tension, and the true Brit acting is utterly stalwart.

Also in the cast are Sophie Stewart, Robert Urquhart, Barry Foster, Thomas Heathcote, Sam Kydd, Ewen Solon, Ian Bannen, Gene Anderson, Ray Jackson, Bernard Cribbins, Brian Smith, John Charlesworth, Kenneth Cope, Alfred Burke, Murray Kash, John Paul, Basil Dignam, Ralph Truman, John Horsley, Cyril Luckham, Edward Dentith, Tsai Chin, Ballard Berkeley and Allan Cuthbertson.

It is shot in black and white by Gordon Dines, produced by Herbert Wilcox, Anna Neagle and Franklin Gollings, and scored by Leighton Lucas, with Art Direction by Ralph W Brinton.

It was made in the studio at the Associated British Elstree Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, with location work on the River Orwell, Ipswich, Suffolk, England; River Stour, Suffolk; and Shotley Gate, Suffolk.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 6543

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