Oltre il confine

A detective pursues a stolen diamond and a voluptuous mystery woman.

This is a curious production that had me puzzled until I read Zipper69's informative, if dismissive, review. In my view, he's a little too negative, but the movie remains a disappointment, mainly because of the odd casting. As an actor, Jack Palance may be many good things, but a dashing leading man he's not. Plus, his performance here remains just plain weird, the southern accent about as good as mine. I'm not sure what Palance is reaching for, but the director should have exercised better control. Then there's Ekberg, the mammary goddess, who's a first-rate model, but a third-rate actress, especially as a mystery woman. Between them, they distract heavily from the story itself.

Nonetheless, the plot twists with the golf ball are cleverly inventive, along with the hectic park scene with the magician and the kids. There's also some good noirish photography, but that car trapping the man in the narrow alley was a crime drama cliché even in 1958. Nonetheless, with more appropriate casting and a more engaged director, the film did have real potential. Too bad, it remains a disappointing misfire.

I suspect that this was a "B" movie of the day. We don't have "Second feature" movies any more, nowadays we are presented with one almighty production that revolves around a single famous actor and a host of special effects.

This little offering is different, there is a host of really great actors and a lot of character development. Anthony Newley is great and fits his role so well. Palance seems to be not quite with it but I have noticed this in a few of his films, his Texan accent was a mistake.

It was interesting to see the change in our leading lady after she had been beaten up. Even her ample top didn't seem to be bursting at the seams!

Well worth a watch - if you can get it.

Nigel Patrick gives a great performance as usual, ably supported by screen stalwarts such as Sid James Donald Pleasance Gerard Heinz and especially Anthony Newley. Anita Ekberg provides the glamour and there are lots of exotic locations in Europe. However, Jack Palance is woefully miscast as the romantic lead and this film would have been far better if he had swapped roles with Bonar Colleano and played the villainous heavy. Having said that there is still a lot to enjoy as the story is good and there are plenty of entertaining scenes and dialogue. I liked the scenes on the train and particularly those with the precocious little girl. Incidentally, the train seems to start out in Paris as the famous Golden Arrow but ends up being pulled by an ordinary tank engine.

Anita Ekberg is eye candy in a strange British thriller about a diamond heist. Jack Palance from USA, Ekberg from Sweden, Donald Pleasence from UK, Anthony Newly from UK playing a Spaniard make up the some of the cast. Sequences of quality is jewel thief Nigel Patrick playing magic tricks for kids in Lisbon and the train only to be outsmarted by them . The character Ekberg plays is intriguing..

I have never heard of Director John Gilling - and with good reason! At least on IMDB, his work does not get much by way of high ratings.

That said, he had a hand in THE MAN INSIDE's script, and it ain't half bad. Clearly, despite scenes in Lisbon (I would contend that it is really a run down part of Madrid, the locals even speak castillian, not Portuguese, irrespective of the obligatory "obrigado"), Madrid, Paris and London, this has the look of a low budget flick.

The action is entertaining enough, with some zesty moments but cinematography by - to me unknown - Ted Moore is generally dark, mostly inside trains, and not overly memorable.

Nigel Patrick stands out as Sam Carter, who insists on being addressed as Carrasco (meaning "executioner" in both Portuguese and Spanish) . He reminded me of Mr Holland in THE LAVENDER HILL MOB (UK 1951), memorably played by Alec Guinness, but with a far colder and more evil drive, to the point of actually icing two or three people along the way, all for the sake of holding on to a priceless diamond.

I agree with other reviewers that Jack Palance seems miscast. I would have loved to see Joel McCrea in his role as March. Anita Ekberg's posterior alone is worth the price of admission, and seeing her whole must have been a massive boner... hmm, bonus, to many a young male spectator at the time.

Bonar Colleano makes a credible, sophisticated heavy with stylish glasses to boot.

Sid James with a US accent and Newley as a Spaniard miss the mark, though, despite the latter's quick thinking - his English is just too good to come across as a convincing Spaniard.

All told, watching this 90-minute flick is no waste of time. 7/10.