Simon Wells (Macdonald Carey), a retired American executive holidaying in the tourist town of Weymouth, meets and becomes attracted to a young local girl, Joan (Shirley Anne Field), much to the displeasure of her older brother, King (Oliver Reed). King, the leader of a gang of punks, beats up Wells and tries to imprison his sister, but the couple escape in Well's boat. With the gang trailing them, the two lovers end up in a secret government installation and discover a terrible secret.
Made in 1961 but only released in 1963, this film quite blatantly exploits the public fear of nuclear war in that period (the Cuban missile crisis occurs in October 1962) and the collapse of the law and order, signified by King's gang openly roaming the streets of Weymouth with impunity, to justify the extreme actions of the government. Viewed away from that period, it's really a rather plodding film that takes a very, very long time to set the scene, overplays a very irritating song for the gang's call sign, includes an obligatory but unlikely romance between the leads, and casts Carey inappropriately as a middle-aged romantic lead. On the other hand, Oliver Reed makes a substantial presence as the well-dressed gang leader with a cane, quite possibly a precursor to Malcolm McDowell's Alex in 'A Clockwork Orange', and there are some fearful and gloomy scenes in the end.
1 out of 5 stars.
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