SOS Pacific

A small seaplane encounters trouble when it hits bad weather when it flies off from a small island in the pacific. The cockpit catches fire with faulty electrics, the radio does not work properly, the navigator dies because of the fumes emitted from the wrong type of fire extinguisher.

Running low on fuel the plane lands near a small deserted island. The passengers swim ashore only to realise they are in imminent danger as the island is a testing site for a nuclear bomb.

SOS Pacific is a British B disaster film with a motley flying crew of owner-pilot Jack Bennett (John Gregson) who unravels because he has cut corners. The disgruntled navigator Willy (Cec Linder) who hates his job. Pretty flight attendant Teresa (Pier Angeli.)

The six passengers include an old policeman who gets air sick, Petersen (Clifford Evans) carrying a prisoner Mark (Eddie Constantine) a tough sailor who is charged with smuggling. Whitey (Richard Attenborough) a small time snivelling crook who has snitched against Mark. Dr Strauss, a German scientist on his way to a teaching job, snooty Miss Shaw and Maria, a good time party girl.

It is all rather formulaic, we just know Petersen will be the only one to man up under pressure and the pretty ladies will fall for him. Whitey will buckle under pressure and become villainous. Not sure why the policeman put him and Mark on the same plane.

SOS PACIFIC is a relatively low budget adventure film that takes place in the Pacific but was actually filmed in the Canary Islands. After a rather lengthy and complex set up, the viewer is introduced to a disparate group of characters whose light aircraft ditches in the sea leaving them in a battle for survival against the odds.

This is a film that's enlivened by a decent cast and an anything-goes plot which keeps twisting and turning all over the place. At first it feels like your usual crime thriller with smugglers, cops, and traitors thrown into the mix, and then it becomes your typical disaster film with survivors of a plane crash coming together. The final plot I won't spoil, but I wasn't expecting it and it's handled very well with a maximum of tension.

The film's protagonist is none other than the likable Eddie Constantine (The Long Good Friday), immensely charismatic throughout. Richard Attenborough has a really delicious part as a small-time crook and low life and he runs away with the mannerisms of his character. Pier Angeli and Eva Bartok supply the glamour, John Gregson is the pilot, and Hammer actor Clifford Evans the detective. None of them put a foot wrong. Director Guy Green had an interesting run of films ranging from the Hammer thriller THE SNORKEL to the Attenborough classic THE ANGRY SILENCE, and this is certainly a feather in his cap. The copy I saw on the Talking Pictures TV channel was badly colourised, and I think the black and white version would have been more effective.

I saw this in a theater as a child. It was extremely memorable to the point that my brother and I would frequently bring it up and wonder what the name was. 50+ years later Google came to the rescue. I found a DVD available and snapped it up. YES! It was much as I remembered.

A better quality version would be much better since this was a grainy full frame affair. The story held up however.

I most certainly agree with the reviewer who awarded the film a "10". It does, indeed, well deserve it.

It is one of the most underrated pictures around with good, strong performances, very taut direction by Guy Green, excellent photography by Wilkie Cooper and interesting locations in the Canary Islands. Also worthy of note is the music score which was by the great French composer, Georges Auric.

Just as good, of course, is the story. I wont, of course, give away its great plot but just simply advise people to see it whenever it turns up. I envy the person who bought it on ebay! I, too, hope he enjoys it. It's a must-see thriller of the first order.

I saw this when I was about seven years old from the back of our car at a drive in movie. I thought it was a very exciting movie at the time but that was the only time I saw it, and would like to find a copy of it. I have not been able to find it in DVD or VHS yet, if anyone knows where it is available, please let me know. This movie has an Alfred Hitchcock feel to it, the suspense slowly builds to a climactic ending. I am surprised that it is not more well known as I have found few references to it on the internet. Most of the actors are not familiar to me except for Richard Attenborough whom I also enjoyed in "The Great Escape".