Review of The Singer Not the Song

The writing was on the wall it seems for this even before filming began. The production was troubled and it shows. Roy Baker was reluctant to direct. Dirk Bogarde sensed that he was totally miscast as a desperado (how right he was!) and voiced his objections to the casting of John Mills as the Priest. The gorgeous Mylene Demongeot is the meat in the sandwich and hers is the performance that lingers. Mills portrays very well the kindliness of Father Michael but his Irish accent is risible. No need to dwell on Bogarde's 'camp' performance as the bandit as this has been more than adequately covered by other reviewers! This is a literate adaptation by Nigel Balchin from the novel of Audrey Erskine-Lindop but is utterly devoid of passion, fire and what the Spanish would call 'Cojones'. It is all far too 'English' for its own good. Excellent cinematography by Otto Heller and a mediocre score by Philip Green. The poster proclaimed ' a strange and terrible combat between two men in a strange and terrible Mexican town'. This is indeed a strange and terrible film.