Hell Below Zero (1954) - film review

On a trip to Cape Town to settle a few scores with a business partner, Duncan Craig meets and is bewitched by a young woman named Judie Nordhal.  The latter is on her way to Antarctica, to look into the death of her father whom, she is convinced, was murdered.  Duncan manages to wheedle his way onto Judie’s ship, by getting himself hired as First Mate, but is dismayed when he learns that the woman he loves is already engaged.  Judie soon sets the record straight, revealing that she has broken up with her boyfriend Erik Bland.  When they reach the whaling vessel belong to Judie’s father, Duncan soon resolves the mystery of the unexpected death and realises that Erik is a dangerous man indeed...

It’s hard to pinpoint why this adaptation of a respectable Hammond Innes novel falls so wide of the mark because, on the face of it, it appears to have everything going for.  It has a great cast, including such cinema icons as Alan Ladd and Stanley Baker and it is helmed by a director, Mark Robson, who scarcely put a foot wrong in his entire career.  This should be a classic but it’s not.  It’s a plodding, unconvincing attempt at a thriller masquerading as a tedious documentary about whale hunting. 

Admittedly there are a few small consolations: some of the location photography (that which was shot for this film, not the stock footage) is stunning, and Alan Ladd at least tries to make his character convincing and keep things moving.  However, the film’s failings are evident within about ten minutes.  With its implausible characterisation, bad pacing and some atrocious editing, Hell Below Zero appears shoddy and amateurish, recommended only for diehard fans of Ladd.

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