Wütende See

Sea Fury is directed by Cy Endfield and Endfield co-writes the screenplay with John Kruse. It stars Stanley Baker, Victor McLaglen, Luciana Paluzzi, Grégoire Aslan, Robert Shaw and Francis De Wolff. Music is by Philip Green and cinematography by Reginald H. Wyer.

Aged Captain Bellew (McLaglen) of the tugboat Fury II is lured into a romantic involvement with young Josita (Paluzzi) by her father who has designs on financial gain for the family. However, the arrival of British sailor Abel (Baker) to the crew sees a romantic dalliance occur of which Bellew is sure to be furious about...

Set in a village on the Spanish coast, where the harbour is host to tugboats and ebullient sailor types, Endfield's film is a weird romance - come - seafaring drama. In truth the first two thirds of the film is pretty turgid stuff, it shuffles along as some sort of bizarre love triangle, then a bit of jealousy comes into play and a drama at sea forces the pic onto a much higher level.

Filmed out of Estartit and Girona in Spain, the acting is fine, where McLaglen (in his last film before his death) is in full bluster mode, Baker is smooth and macho, and Paluzzi strikes the right forbidden fruit chords (including one quite racy and well shot underwear change sequence).

When the plot forces the now bitter crew of the Fury II out to a perilous rescue mission that will make them good money, it is here where the pic pays you off for the time spent with the previous tedium of the lovelorn character developments. It's dramatic, furious even, with Baker put through the water mangler by his director.

Above average, but only recommended if one has the patience to wade through an hour of sogginess to get to the watery thrashy pulse raising last third. 6/10

Victor McLaglen, the captain of a tug boat service forms a misplaced affection for Luciana Paluzzi, her father (Delgado) happy to oblige for a significant dowry and ongoing prestige. Paluzzi, of course, at least thirty-something years McLaglen's junior, isn't so willing to be matrimonially arranged and finds mutual attraction with the newly hired mate, Stanley Baker. The ensuing tension creates friction between those loyal to the embattled skipper, and others swayed by Baker's courage and the prospect of a changing in the guard.

McLaglen's final film role is a great individual swansong, but he's better than the matinee grade material. Baker's loner character will draw parallels with that of "Hell Drivers" (another Endfield-Kruse collaboration), as the tough, uncompromising rogue, his professional and disciplined approach initially welcomed by McLaglen starts to wane when it becomes clear that Paluzzi is forming affections for the new first mate. The inevitable transition is made more dramatic by those loyal to the old captain (Shaw, being the most impacted by Baker's sudden arrival and elevation up the pecking order), opposing the vanguard.

The action sequences are competent, but Paluzzi's characterisation (whilst undeniably attractive) lacks the depth which perhaps a Sophia Loren or Pier Angeli would have found in the role. I'm a fan of Paluzzi although I just didn't think this was a role in which her acting talents were utilised beyond being an object of desire and wedge for the ensuing conflict between the male leads.

Quality British supporting cast (aforementioned Shaw and Delgado joined by DeWolff, Aslan and even Barry Foster in a minor role) are mostly spectators to the tepid love triangle and Endfield's direction is not as taut or narratively fluent as in "Hell Drivers" (the similarities with which are too obvious to deny and is possibly where "Sea Fury" suffers as a comparison). But for Baker's charisma and McLaglen's jealous-turn invoking equal amounts of scorn and sympathy accordingly, this would be a largely forgettable experience. A solid climax briefly elevates the picture, but not sufficiently to redeem the otherwise soap-operatic storyline from mediocre status. Fair, but far from memorable.

The final sequence of this film, of saving a ship in distress with very dangerous high explosive cargo, is very reminiscent of Powell-Pressburger's "A Matter of Life and Death" ten years earlier, where the final sequence was the dismantling of a booby-trap. It's the same supreme tension here, while here many lives are depending on getting the explosive cargo out of the ship, which is a very risky operation demanding very hard work under full storm. I always liked Stanley Baker's films, he always made them better than they really were, although he certainly was no dashing good-looking film star crushing any hearts but rather a grim silent tough die-hard with nothing attractive about him. Victor McLaglen gives a final bow here and makes a full brilliant show of it more often with bottles than without. Among the others you notice Robert Shaw offering some rivalry, Rupert Davies and a very young Barry Foster with no red hair, since this is in black-and-white. It's a magnificent adventure film with authentic north Spanish sceneries and exquisite guitar music all the way, but the best scene is when Victor McLaglen can't really hold back when his intended bride is changing clothes for something risqué. Especially in that scene McLaglen demonstrates the full scope of his uniquely personal art of acting.

For a man who lived and tasted more of life before his movie career began in the late twenties than most actors, indeed most people will ever know, it is fitting to see Vic in his old form one last time. The film is peppered with references to his life both on and off stage. From the opening sequence with him barking orders and bodily shoving people aside, we see that though in his early seventies, he's still got enough for one last performance.

The scene where he pins a medal on Stanley Baker, and plays his trademark rough-an-tumble drunk is classic McLaglen. His half-hearted attempt at courting the lovely Luciana Paluzzi culminates in an amusing treat of a scene that ends with Paluzzi storming out of the captain's cabin and Victor picking himself up off the floor.

Later we find Vic's character Captain Bellew with Stanley Baker's Abel Hewson on the bridge, as Bellew describes an experience from his early days at sea, and declares that he's done a bit of everything in his time. He says it with an honest conviction because he is quite easily telling the truth about his own life.

In all, I rate it a great watch for anyone who admires the man's irrepressible zest for life and the adventurous tale of his winding course through it. One of the last great men of the Victorian Era takes his bow with this one.

The continuity announcer for 'London Live' said the star of this film was Stanley Baxter (what a film 'Zulu' would made with him in it!).

It's great claim to fame is that it marked the final film role of Victor McLaglen, predictibly cast as a drunken old curmudgeon (complete with walking stick) who comprises one corner of the screen's most unlikely triangle with Stanley Baker and Luciana Paluzzi.

The film finally lives up to it's title with the dramatic finale of Baker saving a ship in distress carrying drums of highly combustable sodium with a surprising appearance by a dazed-looking Dermot Walsh as the ship's seriously concussed captain.