Le grand risque

Stephen Boyd and bride Juliette Gréco go to his family in Ireland, where matriarch Sybil Thorndike persuades the family to finance their scheme to start a trucking firm in Africa. The catch is they have to take along bank clerk David Wayne lest they do anything foolish or get into trouble. There is foolishness and trouble, of course, a lot of it provided by Wayne.

There's loads of nice scenery, and Africa looks good too. The movie was shot in Ireland and Côte D'Ivoire. Cinematographer William Mellor shoots the trucking scenes in the countryside to make the landscape look threatening, old lovers and Gregory Ratoff turn up; if the trials and tribulations make it look like THEY DRIVE BY NIGHT written very big, there's still meat on e bones of this story.

It's the fourth movie Miss Gréco appeared in for producer Darryl F. Zanuck in his European wanderjahr after handing over 20th Century-Fox to others. He would return after the disaster of CLEOPATRA, and be kicked out himself after TORA! TORA! TORA! bombed, the last of the old-line moguls. He would die in 1979, aged 77.

This movie about the struggles of a crew of three to get a lorry filled with a cargo of beer to it's final destination was a favorite late-night movie of my sister's (and mine). The story, at times, left something to be desired...but the acting was good, and the emotions of the characters really came through. (Imagine how you would feel if you were stuck delivering a truck full of beer to some remote village, and everything that could go wrong, did.) I gave it a ten. (Nostalgia probably played a part in that rating.) Definitely worth the watch... if you can find it, that is.

I love this movie though I was very young when it was made and did not see it at the time. I thought it was fantastically well made. Very well acted by entire cast. But star of the film was the young boy Davey. I wonder what happened to the actor who played him, Fergal Stanley . Did he become a professional actor ? I imagine he is highly successful in his chosen field. Does anyone know did he make other films If so I would love to know. Top marks, highly recommended. Would love to hear others views on this and other films made around the same time with a similar theme that would be of interest and appeal to someone who loved The Big Gamble

Saw the original release in 1962 and thought Stephen Boyd should have been in a better film since his was post Ben Hur. Fast forward to 2020 and I loved Stephen in this film. Beyond tragic that he died at age 45. He was a very compelling screen presence. This one is for Stephen's fans to remember him. Always.

This is an entertaining movie about the trials and tribulations, and there are many, of an Irishman, his wife and his cousin, as they decide to travel to the Ivory Coast to start a trucking business. For all you Stephen Boyd fans, in this one, he's young, handsome and Irish and has just the right rambling, pioneering spirit needed for the part. He's fun to watch! Juliette Greco is charming and amusing as his wife and David Wayne contributes well to some of the best scenes in the film.

The characters love, fight, get drunk, sing Irish ballads, and meet up with many out-of-the-ordinary local characters during this cross-continent global trek from Ireland to Africa.

There's never a dull moment! It's an enjoyable little film.