Break in the Circle

Eva Bartok hires skipper Forrest Tucker to smuggle scientist Arnold Marlé, As the movie progresses, various murky forces with thugs, helicopters, and police at its disposal tries to stop him.

When this was made, the forces at work were apparent and obvious to its audience; so obvious that this could easily be interpreted as paranoid anti-Communist propaganda. Nothing of the sort is ever mentioned in the movie. This would seem to make it vaguer and duller, and at the same time more universal. Indeed, some of the accompanying comment notes " Set against a war-torn backdrop, it explores the indomitable human spirit and the relentless pursuit of liberty." This seems at odds with Eric Pohlmann's willingness to get his neck broken once he's promised $5,000.

Over all, I find its lack of specificity unengaging, its use of the same block of docklands to represent several different ports cheap rather than betaking of any sort of universality. With Marius Goring and Guy Middleton.

It's a fast thriller constantly gaining speed, and it is not easy to follow all the sudden turns for good and for worse in this violent action stew of intrigue. A scientist is successfully smuggled out of East Germany and hidden in "a safe place" at the harbour of Hamburg, a very rugged place to my liking, from where an English skipper (Forrest Tucker) is paid handsomely to get him out of there over to England. The problem is there are others also interested in this case of an important Polish scientist with advanced knowledge of matters beyond anyone's conception. So there are some hunts both to save him and to get him, and when finally the guns come out to force the situation, Forrest Tucker begins to have had enough of fisticuffs and assaults and atrocities hounding him everywhere, while Eva Bartok in what must be regarded as one of her best roles actually finally saves the situation by her own bold initiatives and civil courage. It's a fast and entertaining film, Val Guest knew how to make such films of sustained action and suspense, and at least you will not be bored.

Hammer's second feature in colour was the first of two location-shot Cold Wars dramas in colour with an American star - the second being 'Visa to Canton', with Richard Basehart - while as befitted the twentieth century subject the studio supplied a helicopter chase at the end that anticipated the final scenes of 'The Damned'.

Great location scenes at Polperro, Cornwall, and very typical of its time.

It catches the flavour of England and Cornwall in the '50s, and the hero is a proper smart and tough individual.

He is in this as a deckhand.He normally plays somewhat eccentric characters.He adds some lighter touches to this rather full thriller starting a lacklustre Forrest Tucker.Made by a pre horror Hammer more than likely as part of their deal with Lippert.The film starts slowly and crawls to a full stop.