Snowbound

While the movie tries to create a mystery out of the reasons for a disparate group of individuals converging on a ski lodge in the Italian Alps, every film synopsis you see gives away the reason, thereby robbing Snowbound of much of the tension it is trying for. It's still a solid watch, nevertheless, with a number of effective moments and Herbert Lom on top menacing form.

The actor from the Czech Republic who reinvented himself as Herbert Lom looked quite menacing in this film. In black and white, he has the same sinister demeanour as James Mason. He's likeable though. Swarve, conservative with volatile undertones. I'm surprised he went quite unnoticed during the 40's.

It has to be admitted that Dennis Price, God bless him, was miscast. He gets blown off the screen by, successively, Robert Newton, Stanley Holloway, Marcel Dalio, Mila Parély, Herbert Lom, and even Guy MIddleton, not to mention several of the minor players, all of whom are good. But the 2nd unit work makes up for everything. The skiing scenes are gorgeous, and the rescue sequence starting from the bell tolling and ending up with the skiers' torches circling inward when they find him is really quite beautiful: apart from the overloud music, a completely silent sequence worthy of some of the best silents.

This is a very strange film.Robert Newton is top billed.However after his appearance in the first scene he does not appear for another hour.During that period very little of interest happens.Then with his reappearance the film comes to life and we get a reason for the happenings,revelations as to the true identities of the main characters and the action that had been missing in the previous hour.It is difficult to understand the way the plot is developed,notwithstanding a view on the way a British film studio operated in the forties.However you do get the feeling that many of the cast were wasted not least Dennis Price.

I recently picked up a VHS copy of Snowbound at a good price and I wasn't too disappointed, but it wasn't that brilliant.

A man who works as a movie extra gets a job as a spy and is sent to a remote ski cabin in the Alps to investigate strange happenings there. It turns out there is some Nazi gold hidden underneath it and there are others after it too. Who will get their hands on it?

One or two negative things in this movie include people talking Italian which makes you lose the plot a little (these scenes would have been better subtitled) and the plot itself is a little confusing at times anyway. But there is some nice scenery and a good music score though.

An excellent cast too: Robert Newton (Treasure Island, Tom Brown's School Days), Herbert Lom (Mysterious Island, North West Frontier), Dennis Price, Stanley Holloway (The Titfield Thunderbolt, The Lavender Hill Mob), Guy Middleton and Mila Parely.

Although not brilliant, Snowbound is worth checking out.

Rating: 2 and a half stars out of 5.