The Long Haul

Although other comparisons have been made, the American film that this British noir film seems to bare the biggest resemblance for me is the Dick Powell-Lizabeth Scott-Jane Wyatt classic Pitfall. The same plot situation is at work here in The Long Haul with Mature caught between wife Gene Anderson and the voluptuous Diana Dors. The way Dors was coming on to him who could blame Vic for stumbling a bit.

Mature plays a recently discharged American GI who married a British bride and they have a son. He wants to go to America, she wants to stay in the UK. Mature acquiesces temporarily and gets a job as a truck driver handling the big rigs. The truck drivers in Great Britain seem to have the same work ethic and style as they do on this side of the pond.

But a string of bad luck forces Mature into a smuggling operation with Patrick Allen whose girlfriend is Diana Dors. Circumstances bring Mature and Dors together and with those two Jayne Mansfield like weapons of mass destruction she's sporting those who are attracted by same would find it impossible to resist.

The Long Haul with Mature giving it some American box office appeal is a pretty good noir thriller. Though the framework of the story is Pitfall like the ending comes out somewhat different. After over 50 years the film holds up very well for today's audience.

And Diana Dors's appeal is eternal.

"The long haul" is another Ken Hughes movie who directed interesting B crime movies like "Joe Macbeth" and " Wicked as they come" (with the magnificent Arlene Dahl). American Victor Mature wishes to go back home in US, but stays a few months in Scotland to please his wife (so funny to see Mature in a duffle coat). Mature becomes involved in nasty business as a truckdriver getting deeper and deeper in problems, when he meets the angelic Diana Dors, struggling against Nigel Patrick who excells at being nasty. All that part makes me think of "Thieves' Highway". And the last part with the run in a Leyland truck is impressive , it reminds me of "Wages of fear" by Clouzot. Though Ken Hughes is less more talentuous than Dassin and Clouzot, and there are a few ridiculous dialogues.

This is a rather wrenching melodrama for those who like such things. Although on the surface The Long Haul is a trucking film and a noir, some of the characters' interrelationships and motivations add enough heft to the tense script to make you lean forward out of your seat for more reasons than just action and suspense.

I admit to watching the film for Dors, not previously being much of a fan of Mature, but I thought his contribution to the film was every bit as solid as hers.

Dors is nowhere as hot here as she was in Tread Softly Stranger, released a year later, but she gives a solid performance.

This is a very good film, starting with a great , sensitive script, terrific acting from Victor Mature and Diana Dors , and beautiful wide-screen B&W photography.

Anyone who's ever doubted the two leads acting ability should see this film. Diana Dors is particularly great in a role which was a surprise to me, displaying great sensitivity beyond the script, which is already very good.

I highly recommend this movie, it is much more than just a trucker, road action flick.

The relationships of the principal characters are very well drawn,

and the outcome is not the normal cliché ending one might expect.

The Long Haul is really a great film-noir of the 50s era, as good as any of the classic 40s noir, I believe.

It is available on DVD ... see it , you won't be disappointed.

I wasn't expecting much from "The Long Haul," but it's actually quite good. It stars Victor Mature, Diana Dors, Gene Anderson, Patrick Allen, and Peter Reynolds.

Mature is ex-GI Henry Miller, living in England with his British wife (Anderson). He wants to go back to America with her and their son, but she wants to wait a few months, to return to Liverpool and see her mother. Henry, she says, can get a job with her relative's trucking company.

It doesn't quite work out as hoped. The truck company is totally corrupt, and before Henry knows his, he's forced out of regular trucking and in order to make any money, doing illegal runs for the mob owner, Joe Easy (Allen).

Then Henry meets Joe's girlfriend, the gorgeous Lynn (Dors). She and Henry fall for one another. Henry is unhappy in his marriage, but he's not sure he can go through with leaving his wife and child.

This is a sad film about sad people: Henry, unhappily married, Lynn, in love with a married man and tied to a criminal, Henry's wife, who doesn't want to go to America, Joe, a frustrated mob boss.

A huge part of the film shows Henry's truck driving through the mountains on a narrow, rocky road and what follows - very dramatic and nerve-wracking.

I'm not a huge fan of Mature, but he does a very good job here. Dors, despite coming to fame due to her drop dead gorgeous looks, was a very good actress and is effective here.

Lots of truck driving scenes and cheap diners - they capture the lonely atmosphere very well.