Il diavolo alle 4

I've always been of the firm belief that it is not possible to do a bad film in the South Pacific. Just the cinematography alone is a guarantee for me to enjoy it and you will enjoy The Devil at 4 O'Clock for that reason alone if nothing else.

It's entirely possible that Spencer Tracy and Frank Sinatra agreed to do the film for a vacation to Hawaii and who could blame them. But in fact with Mervyn Leroy directing, the two of them starred in a very nice story about a priest losing and regaining his faith.

Spencer Tracy is in his fourth and final film as a priest. He was sent many years ago to this tropical paradise under French colonial administration. It's a lush green place with a very large volcano.

Tracy also saw a need for a children's hospital for lepers which was still prevalent among the population. The other islanders didn't share his vision to put it mildly. Their own callousness drove him from his faith and started him drinking and doing other sins.

Anyway he's being recalled and a new priest, Kerwin Matthews, is being sent to replace him on the island and in the hospital which is located halfway up the volcano slope. Arriving on the same plane for layover are three convicts, Frank Sinatra, Bernie Hamilton, and Gregoire Aslan, who are bound for prison in Tahiti.

Wouldn't you know it, the volcano erupts and the only men who are able to help Tracy with the hospital patients and staff getting them down the mountain and evacuated are the three convicts.

It's quite a journey, all of the people involved discover hidden wellsprings of character.

Of course the two stars have great roles. There's enough of the hipster Sinatra there to recognize, but he too is transformed by the experience. This maybe the only film where he plays someone who is actually from where old Blue Eyes was born in real life, Hudson County, New Jersey.

Spencer Tracy had stopped playing traditional leading men long before this. He had an aversion to make up in general and was the least vain of leading male stars about growing old. Tracy's face and the sincerity with which he speaks his lines keep his performance from becoming maudlin. He has a powerful moving scene comforting the dying Bernie Hamilton and renewing his own lapsed Catholicism.

The only thing I fault The Devil at 4 O'Clock for is that Humphrey Bogart did not live long enough to do the part Sinatra did. Tracy and Bogey were a great mutual admiration society and way back in 1931 they did a film for John Ford, Up the River, which was Tracy's screen debut and Bogey's second film. They never got to work together again, but became great friends and Tracy was a frequent visitor along with Katharine Hepburn to Bogart when he was dying.

As good as Sinatra was, this part was made for Humphrey Bogart. I have a feeling had he lived with a bit of rewriting, this could have been their joint co-starring vehicle.

What a classic that would have been.

A crusty, eccentric priest (Spencer Tracy) recruits three reluctant convicts to help him rescue a children's leper colony from a Pacific island menaced by a smoldering volcano.

Some say the film was a precursor to the disaster films of the 1970s, such as The Poseidon Adventure, Earthquake, and The Towering Inferno. I can see that, although I never would have made that connection myself.

Because of Tracy's demand of top billing in any movie he starred in, Sinatra ceded top-billing in order to secure Tracy for the film. The film was the most expensive that Columbia Pictures had ever made. This was a wise move on Sinatra's part, because Tracy really makes the picture. Although the convicts are great, this is one of Tracy's better roles (and it helps that Hepburn is not around to slow him down).

A star-packed disaster soap opera that's sort of a precursor to such 70s disaster films as "Earthquake". Fortunately, the characters are three-dimensional enough to hold our interest even in the non-action parts, while the big disaster scenes are technically good and hold up well. The film overdoes the religious and messianic angle a bit, but is certainly a pleasant time-filler. (**1/2)

Turner Classic Movies is my favorite cable channel. I have worked in the production industry for twenty years, and have picked up a few film degrees. TCM is a goldmine. I was not familiar with this film, and am pleasantly surprised. Yes, it is a precursor to the 70s disaster films, in a way, but still a worthy film for Tracy and Sinatra.

Today, the film would be saddled with an obligatory happy ending, so the realism, per se, of this script is welcomed. The heroism is earned, not dictated.

All in all, worth the two hours. And since IMDb now requires ten lines in order for a comment to post, I will continue typing. If ONLY most "posters" could LIMIT themselves to ten lines.

This film anticipates the "Dirty Dozen" film formula with a great story that affirms one's faith in God and the true missionary spirit of Catholic priests who went to various parts of the world to help the poor and the wretched of the earth at great personal sacrifice.

Yet the greatness of the film is not about the missionary zeal of Catholic priests but more about faith in God--the loss of faith and the process of regaining it. It is not an action film, it is a spiritual journey where convicts turn religious by observing selfless actions of others. It brings to mind Pearl S. Buck's "Satan never sleeps". The choice of the title "Devil at 4 O'clock" is unfortunate as the film is not about any devil--there is only a volcanic eruption at that time.

Even if you choose to discount the story, the film is admirable for its earthquake and volcano/lava flow sequences. I wonder how they were able to splice in realistic lava scenes as well as scenes of a small plane flying in close proximity to a volcano in full fury.

Along with "The Seventh Cross" and "Bad Day at Black Rock" this film ranks high as a Spencer Tracy film. He carries the film on his shoulders with good support from Frank Sinatra and Gregoire Aslan. Joseph Biroc's camerawork and Mervyl Leroy's decision to direct this film are commendable. If you have not seen the film see it, it will uplift your spirits and your faith in human values.