Ten Seconds to Hell

The concept is utterly outstanding; the narration (at the beginning and the end) is rather unfortunate - Michael Pate's delivery is so exuberant, more appropriate for an educational short than a post-war drama, that one is surprised he doesn't conclude sentences with "And how!" I'm also a little surprised by the tone that the picture adopts generally, though I suppose it's reasonable after all given the wry, morbid, fatalistic sense of levity the characters bear in accordance with the scenario. Mind you, with that tone established early on, every instance of more dour eventfulness becomes all the more striking for the disparity, and moreover, the picture becomes more serious in little time at all. I don't think it's perfect, nor an essential must-see, but 'Ten seconds to hell' is a broadly strong, engaging title, and worth checking out.

It never fails to catch my eye to see Hammer Films associated with a title that's not a horror flick, but as this is a joint venture with UFA and Seven Arts, and produced by Michael Carreras, that's just what we get. Whether one wishes to attribute the excellence herein to that involvement or otherwise, I'm quite pleased with the production design, art direction, and effects, and the original music, and these facets alone manage to inculcate an unexpected level of uneasy atmosphere, tension, and suspense as the picture advances. Factor in Ernest Laszlo's capable cinematography, and Robert Aldrich's firm, steady direction, and I think it's safe to say the feature is rather pleasing, and an easy viewing experience. The narrative and scene writing are also fantastic, serving up one moment after another that's primed for explosive (sorry) storytelling potential, and by and large that potential is unquestionably realized with the terrific contributions of all on hand. That includes a splendid cast, not least chief stars Jack Palance, Jeff Chandler, and Martine Carol, who get the most time on-screen and who especially bring their characters to life with wonderful, subtle personality and nuance. Again, this is a smooth and readily digestible movie, and every detail lends to that.

Setting aside Pate's narration and the tonal matter, the primary issue with 'Ten seconds to hell' is a decided unevenness in how it's written. Oh yes, it's swell overall - but the characters and dialogue simply aren't as convincing, which unfortunately means that the less scenes are centered on the core notion of bomb disposal, the weaker they are. The romantic aspect thusly seems a trifle by comparison, and for as important as the characters and their personalities theoretically are to the tableau, those scenes where we learn more about them don't feel like they specifically add to the plot. Such inclusions could have been reduced to their barest element, in the process reducing the runtime, and nothing would have really been lost; an unfortunate reflection on the title yes, but at least, not its chief focus.

The good news is that any subjective flaws don't wholly detract from the viewing experience, and far more than not this is solid. The cast is quite fine, all the contributions of those behind the scenes are dandy, and the storytelling around the root premise is superb. If it falters slightly in writing and execution, well, I've seen other pictures go a lot more wrong than this. 'Ten seconds to hell' might not be quintessential, unless perhaps you're a diehard fan of someone involved, but by all means it's an enjoyable, generally satisfying movie that still holds up pretty well. Maybe don't feel like you need to go out of your way for it, but if you have the chance to watch, this is worth ninety minutes of your time.

Okay there 's only half-a-dozen in this movie and they are not dirty but there's a strong analogy between "ten seconds to hell" and the 1967 work: a group of men,going for broke ,bound to die one after the other. Jack Palance is impressive in a non-villain part,and his character displays tension,emotion and compassion.Jeff Chandler is also very effective .The defusing scenes have a near-documentary side which makes them very convincing .

The main flaw is Martine Carol's part :her character did not seem to appeal to Aldrich and her scenes come at the most awkward moment.This is the umpteenth story of the French girl who loved (and married) a German and now is looked upon as a traitor to her country.This is a man's story which leaves no place for women as "whatever happened to Baby Jane" is an Aldrich woman's film where men have nothing to do with.

Director Robert Aldrich had his name removed as producer because the studio cut 40 minutes from "Ten Seconds to Hell." He felt without the 40 minutes, the film made no sense. Actually it does, but possibly some of the footage would have added to the suspense.

After the war, German soldiers out of favor with the Reich for a variety of reasons were sent to Berlin to attend to British bombs that hadn't gone off but could if not defused. Interestingly, in 1979, the show Danger UXB covered the exact plot, but with British soldiers working in London.

It's a very dangerous mission, as the bomb could go off in your face.

The team is made up of six people, the main men being a pre-war architect, Koertner (Jack Palance), and an arrogant jerk, Wirtz (Jeff Chandler). Wes Addy, Robert Comthwaite, David Willick and Jim Goodman make up the rest of the team. The men bet half their salaries on staying alive, and anyone standing at the end of the mission win the purse. Koertner is the head of the team, and he and Wirtz both compete for the affections of their landlady, Margot, played by a somewhat overwrought Martine Carol.

This is a predictable story but, given the volatility of the bombs, a lot of suspense. Palance had worked several times with Aldrich and is actually the lead and the good guy rather than the normally heroic Chandler. Both of them are very good.

Sobering, and definitely worth seeing.

Six nonconformed former German soldiers work for the British occupation forces on defusing blind shells in Berlin. The men, of very different characters, make a bet, that those who stay alive should get half of all their pays. Indeed one after another of them perishs. So it comes to the showdown between Koertner (Jack Palance) and Wirtz (Jeff Chandler), who also compete for the affection of their host Margot (Martine Carol).

This exciting adventure movie is staged carefully by past master Robert Aldrich. He shows in fascinating details bomb deactivation and the atmosphere of Berlin lying in ruins - a striking metaphor for the devastated lifes of the characters! Chandler and Palance are believable in their roles. Psychological it impress through the description of the fatefully scratched squad, whose members are not able to get out of this suicidal job.

In short: A depressing but exciting look on World War II survivors, who battle for the reorganization of their lifes.

I watched this in a colorized version (shudder, I know!), but I guess it's better than nothing!! This is yet another war-themed film for Aldrich but a novel one, dealing with a six-man bomb-disposal unit in Germany after the end of World War II.

As such, it's much closer in spirit to the stark (and often hysterical) ATTACK! (1956) than the sweeping blockbusters - THE DIRTY DOZEN (1967) and TOO LATE THE HRO (1970; see review above) - of the next decade. Indeed, here, Jack Palance is again given a sympathetic role - while Jeff Chandler, uncharacteristically, essays the villainous type. Interestingly, the film was made by Britain's House of Horror - Hammer Films (in association with United Artists) - with shooting taking place at Germany's celebrated UFA studios!

Plot-wise, however, the film is somewhat contrived: Palance and Chandler hate each other's guts but still lodge together and, of course, fall for their attractive - and lonely - French landlady (Martine Carol); by the end, only they have survived their dangerous line of work and the two face-off in a literally explosive climax! While no classic, it's professionally handled and has undeniable moments of power (one of the deaths is filmed in a way that we never see the man's face but, when the remaining members of the group are reconvened, we realize that Wesley Addy is missing; Chandler's story about his uncle teaching him to always look out for himself first and how the latter was the first to suffer for it).