4 dans une jeep

The film begins with a helpful prologue which explains the political situation in post-war Vienna. It seems like Berlin, the city was divided into four zones and each of the four Allied powers (US, USSR, UK and France) jointly govern. As part of this, a jeep goes on rounds every day with a soldier from each nation to deal with problems as they arise with the locals.

One thing the film did NOT explain is that during WWII, millions of Axis soldiers were taken prisoner. Many of them remained in the USSR long after the war and quite a few were simply never heard from again. Now, considering the death toll in the USSR during the war, I could understand them not releasing many of the soldiers...but this important part of post-war Austria isn't mentioned...as if the viewer knows about this. As a retired history teacher, I assume that most do not know about this today.

This film begins with one of the patrols coming upon a woman who has been accosted by two men. The Russian soldier tells the men to go...and the American soldier is confused why the Russian instantly sided with the men...and he soon creates a bit of an incident. After all, the four soldiers are supposed to cooperate. Later, this same woman comes into the American soldier's life. It seems her husband is among the many soldiers still in the USSR...and there's word he may have escaped and is making his way back home to Vienna.

Overall, this is an interesting curio, though not a great film. It has a lot of slow portions and although it's Ralph Meeker's film debut, I can't imagine most folks wanting to see this unless they are interested in the Cold War. It's just duller than you'd expect it to be considering the subject matter.

(1951) Four In A Jeep ESPIONAGE WAR DRAMA THRILLER

A part of history based on fact with a fictitious set up, that after WWII 4 different power consulates would send one official to Vienna to monitor tensions arising in Vienna- one American, Sgt. William Long (Ralph Meeker); one Englishman, Sgt. Harry Stuart (Michael Medwin); one French, Sgt. Marcel Pasture (Albert Dinan), and one Russian, Sgt. Vassilij Voroshenko (Yoseph Yodin). And they would ride together side by side, driving them around the city, until one of the officials who was an American, intervenes with the Russian dignitaries case regarding an escaped prisoner, cross examining her Franziska (Viveca Lindfors) about a Russian POW is when things get pretty heated.

The history part is more fascinating than the commotion, escalated by the American dignitary who felt that it's everybody he was riding with, should've been allowed to say something as well! Liked the realistic aftermath wreckage from WWII but didn't care too much about the budget constraints and at times shows.

... But this is NOT "Four Jills In A Jeep". That was a musical comedy and this one is a post-WWII melodrama set in Vienna in the years just after the war. Like Berlin, Vienna was divided into fourths; American, French, Russian and British. The picture captures the tension between the four powers as well as the desperation of the Viennese, trying to get on with their lives and serve four masters at the same time.

There are some heartbreaking scenes at the train station as relatives wait for their returning sons and husbands, recently released POWs - some are waiting in vain but don't know it until the train arrives. There are also stark scenes of wrecked and ruined buildings that were bombed during the war, but are nevertheless occupied by hard-up tenants.

In the midst of this destruction Viveca Lindfors waits for her husband, uncertain whether he will be released. American MP Ralph Meeker takes an interest in her predicament, but mostly in her. Meeker is the nominal star but the acting honors go to Ms. Lindfors, who acts circles around Meeker, who was in only his second picture. All other actors are very competent but are no-names.

This is an excellent movie and holds interest throughout. Like "Decision Before Dawn" which came out the same year, there is an aura of realism about it which war pictures made during the war did not duplicate, and gives it a little more bite. My copy was poorly done, with uneven clarity and a sometimes garbled soundtrack. The website says it is coming out on DVD in Oct.'10. It is worth whatever it costs as it is a cut above many pictures, war or otherwise.

In post-war Vienna, four sergeants, each from a different occupying power, share a jeep patrolling the International Sector at the heart of the old city. They get along pretty well -- American Ralph Meeker and Russian Yossi Yadin had actually met during the War -- but when Viennese Viveca Lindfors enters their view, matters become confused. She is waiting for her husband, Hans Putz, to be released from internment camp in Hungary. Word comes he will be in the next batch, but he fails to show up; he escaped just days earlier. It's obvious he's making his way to Vienna and his wife. Meeker, the French sergeant, and the British one are pretty easy-going about the situation, but Yadin has orders to capture him.

It's a well written, shot, and acted drama about the attitudes of the non-coms; even as the tension surrounding the Berlin Air-Lift roils international relations, Vienna is a city in which the occupying powers are still cooperating. Unfortunately, the last half hour is shot at night-time, and the print I looked at was pretty dark, so it's sometimes hard to tell what's going on during the pursuit of Putz. Still, there are plenty of good moments here, and it was time well spent watching this.

Recently, during a discussion of films made a few years after the end of WW2, I mentioned Four In A Jeep. No one had ever heard of it. I recall seeing it in the early 50s and being impressed by it--possibly because of the times--it was the Cold War, and I was very political then--leftie to the core. This storyline of 4 soldiers of different nations--former allies, patroling a conquered city was just my cup of tea. I found it or wanted to find it-- a plea for peace. The main story itself, trying to reunite 2 lovers torn apart by war and a difficult peace, was secondary to the 4 men themselves; especially the American (Ralph Meeker who was getting recognition in Hollywood,) and the Russian, Voroshenko. Because of the Cold War, they could have made Voroshenko the villain, instead he became for me the pivotal character torn between instinct (perhaps love) and duty. He and the American sergeant were pitted against each, but developed respect toward the other rather than hatred. I found this film to be a good companion piece to The Third Man--same period, many similar situations. Too bad it will probably be seen by so few--no DVD for this one--a real pity!

Chris