"Two million men, two million stories. This one happens to be true." The 1958 war drama Ice Cold in Alex, based on a novel by Christopher Landon and inspired by his own war experiences, follows the retreat of a small group of British officers and nurses from Tobruk to Alexandria in a rickety ambulance as the German military advances through North Africa in 1942.
John Mills stars as ranking officer Captain Anson, an exhausted man who has retreated into alcohol under the stress of command. He is the last one out along with the loyal Sergeant Major Pugh (Harry Andrews), the unit's mechanical specialist, and a pair of nurses (Sylvia Syms and Diane Clare) left behind in the evacuation.
When their retreat is cut off by a blown bridge, they are forced to take a treacherous road through the desert, where German units and minefields await. Along the way, they also pick up a Dutch Afrikkanner officer (Anthony Quayle) who has strayed from his unit, or so he explains as he passes a bottle gin from his duffel bag to Anson, but his secretive behavior raises suspicions.
The title is the ostensible prize at the end of the journey: an ice-cold beer in Anson's favorite bar in Alexandria. Directed by J. Lee Thompson, who made the brawny World War II action thriller The Guns of Navarone just a few years later, this is a gripping survival thriller that takes unexpected turns but the focus is on the relationships within the group as they pull together to battle the desert. It is also a break from the tradition of British World War II dramas, which emphasized steadiness, resilience, and modest courage under pressure. John Mills became a star playing such stalwart war heroes, which makes his portrayal of Anson as a broken alcoholic whose drinking leads to reckless actions even more striking.
Through the course of the journey, he recovers his composure and his courage. The films also present a more nuanced portrait of the German enemy, something not seen in earlier war movies, and chronicles solidarity and respect that develops through shared adversity and concludes with an act of generosity to an enemy soldier. It was one of the top films at the British box office in 1958 but was cut by more than 30 minutes for its U.S. release in 1961, which was retitled Desert Attack.
The new edition from Film Movement presents the complete British cut and includes an extended clip from the 1999 documentary A Very British War Movie, home video footage of actor John Mills, an archival interview with Sylvia Sims, and new interviews with film historians Melanie Williams and Steve Chibnall. Recommended.