ACTION
OF THE TIGER (1957)
Starring
Van Johnson, Martine Carol, Herbert Lom, Gustavo Rojo, Jose Hieto,
Helen Haye, Sean Connery. Directed by Terence Young. (93 min)
ON
BLU-RAY FROM
Review
by Mr. Pawsđź
Hey!
Isn’t that a young Sean Connery as a hairy, lecherous drunk trying
to tear off Martine Carol’s top and have his way with her?
And
isn’t that Herbert Lom, who not-only steals the entire movie as a
bandit who amusingly refers to himself in the third person, but also
puts his grimy paws all over Martine and won’t take no for an answer?
And
speaking of Martine, are those her boobs I just saw in a major
studio film...from 1957?
The
answer is yes, yes and yes, which makes Action of the Tiger an
interesting little curiosity. The film itself is no great shakes, but
it’s kind of amusing to see Sean Connery pop up in a small role –
one of his first – playing such a scumbag (though he’s a heroic
sidekick!). His character is sort-of the antithesis of those which
established him as a dashing leading man just a few years later.
Then
there’s Herbert Lom, far-removed from his typical serious roles or
playing straight-man to Peter Sellers. Here, he’s the closest thing
the film has to comic relief and looks to be having a lot of fun
hamming it up as Trifon, the cocky, self-proclaimed captain of his
“army” who lusts after Martine.
 |
| "Forget it, lady. He's mine." |
But
despite a miscast Van Johnson in the lead role, it’s French sexpot
Martine Carol who commands most of our attention. She plays Tracy,
who hires an American smuggler (Johnson) to take her across the
Albania border in order to rescue her brother, Henri, a political
prisoner. It’s not a particularly riveting journey, nor do Johnson
and Carol display much chemistry together. Still, she’s statuesque
and sexy, which director Terence Young exploits at every given
opportunity, including a scene where she emerges from
the water fully nude after a morning swim.
Some
of you who recall the film might be ready to retort, “You’re
wrong! Surely I’d remember seeing the lovely Ms. Carol au naturel!”
And indeed you would...if you saw the version that was released in
Europe. But in the fifties, breasts were known to cause blindness in
American males, so Hollywood did their civic duty by replacing the
scene with one where Carol wears a bathing suit. Fortunately for us,
this disc features the European cut, naughty bits intact.
Without
these points of interest,
Action of the Tiger would be just another forgettable
adventure film, a generic variation of The African Queen.
Johnson’s definitely no Bogart, but you knew that already. Carol’s
no Hepburn, either, but it’s easier to accept her
comparatively-limited range in light of other, uh, assets. Throwing in atypical performances by Connery and Lom simply ups the curiosity factor, ultimately making the film worth checking out.
EXTRA
KIBBLES
TRAILER
KITTY CONSENSUS:
NOT BAD. LIKE CAT CHOW.
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