Forgotten Middle East race-to-freedom pic; minor-league stuff/neatly handled. Directed by Ronald Neame as if practicing story beats for his THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE/’72, with mismatched escapees & one hostage navigating close calls not in a capsized ship, but in a topsy-turvy Ship-of-State, outrunning armed forces rather than rising water. Yul Brynner leads the way as the Nationalist Opposition Leader, hunted down by the corrupt King of Zahrain after he’s rescued from a rushed execution; his prison van ‘liberated’ by local Arab Confederates. Now racing to the border in a stolen ambulance along with teen-acolyte Sal Mineo, embezzling oil man Jack Warden, a few low-life prisoners, and Western-educated hospital nurse Madlyn Rhue, losing someone with every obstacle overcome. The film’s main obstacle may be Lyn Murray’s hackneyed score, but other tech credits belie a tight budget & lack of studio interest, including cinematographer Ellsworth Fredericks, snatching MidEast flavor from California locations when not stuck on soundstage exteriors. With Sal Mineo underplaying his patented sacrificial lamb routine and Jack Warden turning his ‘regular guy’ embezzler into something of a real person. There’s even an uncredited appearance from James Mason as a world-weary character out of Somerset Maugham . . . or is it Joseph Conrad? No great shakes, but worth a look.
ATTENTION MUST BE PAID: Brynner’s signature shaved-head and stiff posture limited him to arrogant types. Yet wigs never convinced. But here, problem solved using a simple Arab ‘gutrah’ (headdress). A great look for him, it adds a touch of suppleness to his personality.
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