Flight from Vienna

Theodore Bikel returned to his native Vienna to make this cheapjack second-feature for E.J. Fancey, possibly utilising some sort of sponsorship deal, a ploy he had used before (see "London Entertains" and "Calling All Cars" among others). The dismal "thriller" lumbers along for an hour without the encumbrance of a plot. Bikel is a Hungarian scientist who wants asylum in the west. Will he get it and did anyone care one way or the other? Two things hang in the air: Cold War paranoia and fond memories of "The Third Man." It appears that everything was grabbed by a scratch crew that evidently didn't include a sound recordist. The entire film, apart from a couple of scenes shot in the UK, is post-synchronised, evidently in someone's bathroom. "Adrienne Scott". Fancey's daughter, is a non-speaking extra in the pre-credits sequence but is still billed 5th. Bikel looks as though all he's thinking about is his imminent escape not to the UK but Hollywood. A poster in a cafe indicates that the film was made in 1954. By the time it was released Bikel was long gone, no doubt with memories of dross like this fading fast.

John Bentley had the misfortune to be best known as Noele Gordon's husband in that feeble soap "Crossroads." However, starting with "Calling Paul Temple" in 1948 and right through to 1963, when the form was dying out, he starred in a series of low-budget British B movies. Some, particularly those made by Terence Fisher, were pretty good. This one isn't. It's one of the dullest films I've ever seen, and I see now why I'd never heard of its director, Denis Kavanagh.

The main character, played by Theodore Bikel, is not at all sympathetic. He's a loyal member of Hungary's Communist equivalent of the KGB and only escapes to Vienna because his mentor has been purged and he fears being next. The premises in Budapest where these charmers operated (and before them the Black Arrow fascists, the other side of the same debased coin) is now open to the public, billed as The House of Terror.

Bikel escapes alone, leaving his wife to suffer the consequences. (Greater love hath no man, than he sacrifices his wife to save his own hide.) In Vienna he meets British agent, who takes him to meet his boss, The latter is suspicious and wants Bikel to prove he's not a plant by getting him to return to Hungary and help an aged professor to escape. This time he condescends to rescue his wife. Not only hasn't she been punished for his defection, she's not under surveillance.

Both escapes are ridiculously easy. No gun turrets, no guard dogs, no No Man's Land with mines. Just snip a bit of barbed wire and you're free. The Commies send assassins after Bikel, but they are comically incompetent. One misses Bikel in a Viennese park, and manages to kill the film's only interesting character (a shady wheeler-dealer) instead. The other shoots at Bikel on the runway at Paris airport, but only gets him in the shoulder, then promptly gets arrested.

Truly inept.

Other reviews here have quite rightly highlighted what a poor film this is. The fault lies pretty well entirely with the production and direction. It is potentially a good story - but this story had been done before and since always to better effect. The screenplay is pedestrian and makes nothing of the opportunities for tension and character development. Direction seems to be non-existent with the poor actors doing the best they can with poor material. Nothing is made of the iconic Viennese setting, the drama of the border crossing or the constant tension of the protagonist being a hunted man. If this were not bad enough the cinematography, lighting and sound are distinctly amateur.

Is there anything of value in this then? . Well Theodore Bikel shows early signs of the genuine talent that would become more apparent as his career developed. John Bentley gives a dependable performance in line with his more famous "Paul Temple" role. Of interest is Donald Grey who became better known on screen in the TV series "Saber of the Yard" where as a one-armed actor he chose to play the detective with an empty sleeve. In this he wears a prosthetic arm carefully turned away from the camera. Probably because of his disability and distinctive voice, in his later career he became known for voice overs, most notably in Gerry Anderson's Captain Scarlett.

Finally, anyone interested in film composers may detect the uncredited early work of Edwin (Ted) Astley here. This is from the beginning of Astley's career, before he developed the distinctive ITC style that provided the scores for The Saint, The Baron, Danger Man and many other great TV series of the 70's. Here, his style is complex and orchestral, borrowing ideas and actual cues from "Scotland Yard" an early 50's TV series by him.

Another boring film from quickie producer E. J. Fancey. Fancey seemed to have the uncanny knack of turning everything he made into the most tedious fare imaginable and FLIGHT FROM VIENNA is no exception. The storyline concerns a Hungarian defector who escapes from the Iron Curtain but is coerced into going back to rescue both his wife and a top scientist by the British intelligence.

Sadly for a Cold War thriller this film is almost entirely devoid of thrills and merit. The main character, played by Theodore Bikel, is one of the dullest imaginable and has no redeeming qualities whatsoever. The reliable John Bentley is a little better in support but has very little to work with.

FLIGHT FROM VIENNA is only an hour long but it feels at least twice that thanks to the slow pacing and talky nature of the script. In fact the production values make this look so dated that it could pass for a film made in the 1930s given the right storyline. Even fans of British B-films from the 1950s will struggle to enjoy this one.

I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed this relatively short movie. Several reviews here had me skeptical by suggesting that the acting and/or direction were subpar. I found this to be completely untrue. The budget was small, yes, but they made the most of it and I thought they made good use of the scenery and locals. The plot was easy to follow and there was enough tension to keep it interesting. The main players were Theodore Bikel and John Bentley who were excellent. Bentley exudes confidence and Bikel was perfect as the Hungarian defector. It was also interesting to see Donald Gray in a role other than Mark Saber. He did fine and here had a prosthetic arm unlike his Saber character who went without. All in all a pleasant, if short, diversion.