Retrospective: These are the Damned (1963)

[Kam-Hung Soh]

These are the Damned (1963)
Review by Kam-Hung Soh 2009

Simon Wells (Macdonald Carey), a retired American executive holidaying 
in the tourist town of Weymouth, meets and becomes attracted to a young 
local girl, Joan (Shirley Anne Field), much to the displeasure of her 
older brother, King (Oliver Reed). King, the leader of a gang of punks, 
beats up Wells and tries to imprison his sister, but the couple escape 
in Well's boat. With the gang trailing them, the two lovers end up in a 
secret government installation and discover a terrible secret.

Made in 1961 but only released in 1963, this film quite blatantly 
exploits the public fear of nuclear war in that period (the Cuban 
missile crisis occurs in October 1962) and the collapse of the law and 
order, signified by King's gang openly roaming the streets of Weymouth 
with impunity, to justify the extreme actions of the government. Viewed 
away from that period, it's really a rather plodding film that takes a 
very, very long time to set the scene, overplays a very irritating song 
for the gang's call sign, includes an obligatory but unlikely romance 
between the leads, and casts Carey inappropriately as a middle-aged 
romantic lead. On the other hand, Oliver Reed makes a substantial 
presence as the well-dressed gang leader with a cane, quite possibly a 
precursor to Malcolm McDowell's Alex in 'A Clockwork Orange', and there 
are some fearful and gloomy scenes in the end.

1 out of 5 stars.

http://vibogafi.blogspot.com/2009/09/review-these-are-damned-1963.html

-- 
Kam-Hung Soh
http://vibogafi.blogspot.com