Snowbound (1948) -
Because it took so long to establish all of the characters and their "Reasons" for being at the hut, this film did seem a bit slow to start and I was eagerly waiting for the point of it all, just for something to happen.
Based on the synopsis I had expected to see them actually digging for the alleged Nazi Gold in a way less farcical, but much more similar to 'It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World' (1963), with the journey to find it being as important as the actual finding. However, there was too much of that character establishment and attempts to make the viewer second guess who the real bad guys were, making it more like an Agatha Christie story in some ways and less of the anticipated adventure I had expected. Robert Newton, who played Engles, came in at the end to solve everything like some sort of Poirot gathering the suspects together to explain how they were all involved.
And I don't know why, but I've always liked Dennis Price as an actor, ever since I first saw him in 'Kind Hearts & Coronets' (1949). He did a great job leading this film as Neil Blair as well. He just had such a charm and a gentle wit that wasn't all about comedy. His loss was a great shame for everyone, including the cinema goer. I believe that he could have gone on to make some fantastic works and built a reputation to rival the likes of Alec Guinness and so on.
With regards to the production of the film and the performances by the various well known actors, there was nothing to specifically mention, but I did feel that the story might be given a slightly artistic and open, more free approach if it was made again today, without being such a generic production of its time.
I didn't like the ending of this version though. I thought that it was too quick and didn't really resolve anything, which was disappointing after waiting so long for it. I would say that it probably needed another 15 minutes to really polish it properly, or to maybe trim those 15 minutes from the start, but it wasn't a bad film by any means.
532.54/1000.
Because it took so long to establish all of the characters and their "Reasons" for being at the hut, this film did seem a bit slow to start and I was eagerly waiting for the point of it all, just for something to happen.
Based on the synopsis I had expected to see them actually digging for the alleged Nazi Gold in a way less farcical, but much more similar to 'It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World' (1963), with the journey to find it being as important as the actual finding. However, there was too much of that character establishment and attempts to make the viewer second guess who the real bad guys were, making it more like an Agatha Christie story in some ways and less of the anticipated adventure I had expected. Robert Newton, who played Engles, came in at the end to solve everything like some sort of Poirot gathering the suspects together to explain how they were all involved.
And I don't know why, but I've always liked Dennis Price as an actor, ever since I first saw him in 'Kind Hearts & Coronets' (1949). He did a great job leading this film as Neil Blair as well. He just had such a charm and a gentle wit that wasn't all about comedy. His loss was a great shame for everyone, including the cinema goer. I believe that he could have gone on to make some fantastic works and built a reputation to rival the likes of Alec Guinness and so on.
With regards to the production of the film and the performances by the various well known actors, there was nothing to specifically mention, but I did feel that the story might be given a slightly artistic and open, more free approach if it was made again today, without being such a generic production of its time.
I didn't like the ending of this version though. I thought that it was too quick and didn't really resolve anything, which was disappointing after waiting so long for it. I would say that it probably needed another 15 minutes to really polish it properly, or to maybe trim those 15 minutes from the start, but it wasn't a bad film by any means.
532.54/1000.