Four Desperate Men (1959) User Reviews (15)

An interesting movie with historical geographical significance

[-628 · 6/10 · 6 July 2016]

The most interesting thing about the Siege of Pinchgut are the numbers of scenes of the City of Sydney and some of its suburbs in the 1950s, which is fascinating to review nearly 60 years later.

The story involves an escaped criminal (Aldo Ray), who protests his innocence, and the 3 men who have helped him escape from custody. They attempt a nighttime escape by boat through Sydney Harbour but are forced aground on Pinchgut Island - now much better known as Fort Denison - where they hold hostage the caretaker and his family.

The movie has quite an interesting plot and the acting is quite good. It does fall apart a little towards the end as the plot descends into melodrama and the key question of Ray's innocence or guilt is never resolved.

The interest for me as a child of the 50s in Sydney was seeing scenes of various Sydney locations as they were in my childhood.

Despite being made by the British studio Ealing and containing a number of British actors, the movie was evidently made with the American market in mind. Not only was the star, Aldo Ray, speaking with an American accent but American spelling was used. In one scene a newspaper headline read "Harbor", which is the American spelling. The British and Australian spelling is "Harbour".

Despite its shortcomings, most notably falling into absurdity towards the end, a weak climax and some unresolved issues, the movie held my interest throughout and I can recommend it especially to older Australians for the historical value of the geographical scenes.

The Siege Uncovered.

[spookyrat1 · 7/10 · 25 October 2018]

As a keen Australian movie fan, I have to admit I'd never heard of this British production largely filmed on location in Sydney, Australia during the late 1950's. The Australian input into the movie is minimal, restricted to the mainly harbour-side locations and a couple of supporting actors and extras, but conveniently, director Harry Watt had had previous experience of filming in Australia and it shows.

The Australian accents for instance, as performed by the British cast members are spot on, with American import, Aldo Ray, being the exception to the rule. He clearly plays an Australian character (not American as other reviewers allege) and yes, there's never any explanation, as to why he has a different accent from his brother, who when the film starts, has apparently master-minded his escape from a train (which we never see) with the aid of 2 other gang members.

Though critically regarded at the time, TSOP was never a commercial success, perhaps explaining why it has been so forgotten, also unfortunately heralding the arguably premature end of Watt's movie career. However in recent times through the influence of figures such as Quentin Tarantino, it has undergone a further critical re-appraisal, which serves to highlight many positive aspects of this much under-rated film.

One can easily see why Tarantino's interest was piqued. Twists abound from the start, with these gentlemanly crooks, being forced to divert from their escape plans and take an injured man to hospital, in a prologue which is both humorous and suspenseful.

The gang quickly gain our sympathies, when we soon realise all they are intent on, even whilst relatively gently taking hostages, is escape. Contrasting with this are their police pursuers, who are shown to be at the very least, extremely hard-nosed in their intent and seemingly not all that concerned about the hostages' welfare. It all makes for some clever reversals of your typical crime caper tropes.

Again I take issue with some of the other reviewers, when stating that the narrative plays out in a generally realistic, believable fashion. There is a Fort Dennison (Pinchgut) in the middle of Sydney Harbour, which may well have seen daily tourist tours of the facilities. It's not far-fetched to think a workable cannon existed there since the Korean War and gang members may also have had naval service during World War 2. It all adds up, including leader Matt's gradual mental disintegration.

Watt makes great use of iconic landmarks such as The Sydney Harbour Bridge and the unbuilt Sydney Opera House even gets a nascent, indirect mention via the medium of early Australian television and yes, there was a TCN Ch 9 in Sydney at the time.

The Siege of Pinchgut, whilst no classic, is indisputably an unexpected surprise from 60 years ago and I can well understand it being restored and archived by the The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia.

My first viewing of this film

[howardmorley · 6/10 · 11 April 2016]

"London Live" a U.k. t.v. channel is currently showing Ealing films daily from 2 p.m. Monday-Friday.I managed to see this film which was new to me despite having seen many films especially produced by Ealing.No it is not one of their comedies but is in the serious gangster genre set on location in Sydney, Australia.Other reviewers have outlined the plot so I won't repeat it.The only British actors I could identify were 1.Richard Vernon 2. Heather Sears. 3.Victor Maddern and U.S. actor Aldo Ray, the latter because he acted in some UK TV programmes.

American actors have great trouble with Australian accents.At first, as I missed the beginning, it was not clear why American robbers were in Australia.Were they supposed to be playing Aussies?This is one of the few Australian films to be shown on U.K. t.v.as we are more familiar with their "soaps" on t.v. e.g. "Home & Away" & "Neighbours".As this film was produced in 1959 the moral code was still in force so I knew the wanted men would get caught or receive their comeuppance.Watchable I gave it 6/10.

Exciting little gem.

[searchanddestroy-1 · 17 April 2011]

That's probably the most powerful little UK film I have ever seen since a long time. I am totally amazed, surprised at the most. It's entertaining from the start to the end. Aldo Ray is here wonderful, as usual. I also remember him in a similar character - well, nearly - in John Guillermin's THE DAY THEY ROBBED THE BANK OF ENGLAND. UK gave us really good films, when they wanted to. We see here a British product, but so awesome. Suspense and action, with sub characters the audience feel sympathy for, even the "bad guys"...

It reminds me a novel, never put on the screen - such a shame - TWO FOR THE PRICE OF ONE, written by a guy named Tony Kenrick, where a bunch of hoods take New York as hostage with the help of a huge canon aboard a war ship in Manhattan harbor. In this book, they threaten the authorities to blow the skycrapper if they don't get a big bullion...

Back to this film, I hope many people will watch it. It's worth.

EAling goes out with a bang

[malcolmgsw · 6/10 · 7 September 2014]

One of the previous reviewers stated erroneously that Ealing only lasted 20 years.That is completely wrong.A studio has been on the present site for around 100 years.In 1930 a company was formed called Associated Talking Pictures headed by Basil Dean.This made films for release by Radio Pictures.Trouble was Radio wanted them as supports for their American imports whereas Dean wanted them for top of the bill.So they split from Radio.Dean was ousted in 1938 because he liked to use his wife,Victoria Hopper,in colossal flops such as "Whom The Gods Love".It was at this point that Balcon,who had left MGM British became head of the studios,the name changed to Ealing and it became world famous.However by 1955 various problems beset Balcon and he had no option but to sell the studios,where films are made to this day.Balcon had a distribution deal with MGM and rented space at their Boreham Wood studios,where the likes of "Davy" and "Dunkirk" were made.However MGM was in turmoil and Balcon left for ABPC who distributed this film.However films had moved on since his heyday and so the company was disbanded at the end of the year.It is actually a rather good film,even if Aldo Ray is less than convincing as an Aussie.It is an entertaining film and a fine testament to Ealing and Balcon.

Unexpectedly good

[Leofwine_draca · 7/10 · 10 December 2018]

THE SIEGE OF PINCHGUT is unlike any other Ealing movie I've seen: it's an often taut suspense thriller about a quartet of criminals who have helped one of their own number escape from prison. They hold up on an island off Sydney and the scene is set for a protracted siege with the local authorities. This unusual film makes very good use of its premise and has some surprisingly tough scenes of police snipers taking down the bad guys and the like. Aldo Ray is the American import anti-hero, given strong support from the likes of Victor Maddern, Neil McCallum and Heather Sears. A number of very familiar faces take smaller roles too. The film's direction is never less than compelling and, although the pace is slow, this always keeps you interested in what's going on.

Sydney Harbour is the star

[grantss · 6/10 · 25 December 2023]

Three men break a convicted criminal out of jail. Their escape plan falters when their boat breaks down off Fort Dennison - "Pinchgut " - an island in Sydney Harbour. The caretaker of the island recognises the felon and the game is up. The four hold the caretaker and his family hostage, resulting in a deadly standoff with police.

An interesting enough hostage drama. The initial setup is well done, with the ambulance and hospital scenes being particularly exciting. The climax of the film is also quite exciting.

However, the middle section, the back-and-forth between the gang and the police, is a bit of a drag at times. The lack of character engagement here is quite telling as, while you're initially made to think that the felon was wrongfully convicted and is in the right, his actions throughout the film are hardly endearing. The police largely act quite professionally (with one glaring exception) so are not the villains of the piece. Still, it's hard to pick a side, especially as there are some good elements within the gang.

One major positive is the views, as we get some great shots of Sydney Harbour (pre-Opera House), including of the Harbour Bridge and from the Harbour Bridge. The Sydney Harbour views are, for me, the highlights of the film.

Thrilling gunfight on Sydney Harbour!

[opsbooks · 9/10 · 8 March 2003]

It's been decades since I viewed this rare B&W movie of the late 1950s. What I remember is the great photography, the police sharpshooters lined up atop the great Sydney Harbour Bridge arch (our much-loved 'coathanger') many hundreds of feet above the water and the laughable acting performance of poor old Aldo Ray. Forget the acting, though, and enjoy the action as the coppers try to take out the baddies on the Sydney Harbour fortress of Pinchgut, otherwise known as Fort Dennison.

Update, 2007. I came across the movie tie-in paperback authored by George Kay which includes 8 b/w photos from the movie. Published in England by Four Square Books in 1962.

The Siege of Pinchgut review

[JoeytheBrit · 5/10 · 28 June 2020]

The last film produced by Ealing Studios is a disappointing tale in which four men led by escaped prisoner Aldo Ray hold a family hostage on a tiny island off Sydney Harbour called Pinchgut with the intention of having his case reviewed. There might have been some mileage in exploring the desperation of an innocent man going to such desperate lengths, but writer-director Harry Watt shows little interest in delving too deeply into the matter. The film is almost completely devoid of tension as it lumbers clumsily towards a predictable conclusion.

Ripper Crime Drama

[gallae · 8/10 · 1 March 2015]

GEM was showing this early Saturday morning, and I just finished AKA Known as "Four Desperate Men" in the States, but as "The Siege of Pinchgut" here in Australia, this was shown on local TV yesterday. It was rather unusual seeing Sydney in 1959, with double decker buses, trams, and police vans with "POLICE E&R FORCE" on the side of them, and the lowish skyline of Northern Sydney.

The film follows the pattern of the period which would have one or two overseas stars to help sell the film elsewhere. This time it's Aldo Ray and Carlo Giustini. It also has a solid performance by Gerry Duggan (whom I saw in a Skippy repeat last week) and Alan Tilvern as the hard-headed Superintendent Hanna. Like many films of the time, accents are either well known dialects (like Irish), "educated" (like Hanna's) or "larrikin" like the main characters brother Joey.

Very much a drama of who will and won't survive, including a good portion of Sydney, with a live naval gun trained on a boat full of explosives! There's a number of sly digs on Australian society in the film, like a two-up game running in the middle of an evacuation. I also liked the reference to "the old tram depot, about to be demolished for our new Opera House" - little did they know where that'd lead! Good stuff and a look at the past.

Action packed B&W superb movie✔

[jrd-95685 · 5/10 · 25 October 2018]

This movie should have won all the Oscars available/best movie/best director/ best actor/best actress/best cinema sound/best costumes/ best supporting actress/ best supporting actor/ best producer as it must have taken millions apon millions of dollars/pounds to make(of course I write this tongue in cheek) I give five stars🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 to all individuals that were involved making this B rated movie for being brave enough to making and showing it!!

TCN 9 OB Van Featured in 1959

[Ozlizzard-2261 · 9/10 · 9 March 2020]

The movie "Four Desperate Men" or "The Siege Of Pinchgut" while B grade and enjoyable has some great Sydney Locations.

I have worked and still am currently employed by TCN Channel 9. I started in 1979 about twenty years after the making of the movie.

41 years later working for Nine at Media Hub and this is my first viewing of the movie.

TCN 9 went on air on September 16th 1956 (The first television station in Australia to go on-air) and the first OB Van (Outside Broadcast Van) which is featured for a brief moment in the movie. The OB Van was used mainly used for transmission of Horse Racing remotes.

Rating depends on perspective

[anthonybodin-67112 · 8/10 · 10 August 2022]

If this was filmed in the us I would give it only 6, but as an Australian it give a fascinating insight into Sydney in the 50s. The story line is not the greatest and would pass if not filmed here.

Change the Plot a Bit

[BastardfromtheBush · 22 February 2010]

I first saw this particular flick at the now famous Sydney cultural icon, The Cremorne Orpheum in Sydney. I've always regarded Aldo Ray as a very good actor seeing him in Erskine Caldwell's 'God's Little Acre'and with Humphrey Bogart and Peter Ustinov in 'We're No Angels'. However, the screenplay was really pushing the envelope to achieve the 'suspension of disbelief' to make an audience accept that an American psycho who's reason for being in Australia in the first place,was never explained, could just muscle in and take over Pinchgut right in the middle of Sydney Harbour and hold the whole city to ransom by pointing a Big Bertha canon directly at a ship carrying high explosives...well, I just don't buy it. Also the coppers lining the arc of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, ready to blow Aldo Ray's head off, if he happened to show his face....well, melodramatic in the extreme. Just not going to happen. I think that even in those days, the Sydney Water Police would just seal the island off and send the equivalent of a SWAT team by helicopters or scuba divers to deal with Aldo Ray. Added to this, Matt Kirk (the Aldo Ray character) and Johnny are supposed to be older & kid brothers; Matt talks to him as if he's an infatuated homosexual which I found laughable. So there are many implausible events in this brave '59 production which I could have believed if an Australian escapee from Long Bay Gaol or Callan Park Mental Asylum pulled this stunt or Aldo Ray played a psycho U.S. Serviceman who was obsessively infatuated with the Pinchgut Island caretaker's daughter instead of his kid brother and was in a position to know first-hand that there was a ship docked in the harbour carrying high explosives to blow the Bridge, Circular Quay, Balmain and Wooloomooloo sky-high. Nevertheless, it was a fun-filled Saturday afternoon, when I saw it many years ago at the Cremorne Orpheum.

Nicely filmed and I'll talk about that.

[dukeb0y · 8/10 · 23 April 2024]

Spoilers, but it's interesting spoilers. There's a lot of tension in the beginning. We have these guys escaping by ambulance. And actually they get stopped to pick up somebody else. And they have to go to the hospital. And now we wonder how they're going to get out of this mess.

That was really very good part you couldn't film it any better. Also I didn't know it was an Australian film until I saw the right hand drive. They were driving mostly big Fords or something like that.

So it is very nicely filled around Sydney Australia.

And it's true we don't find out if the bad guys are innocent or guilty. That's something you will have to decide.

PS, we have snipers on top of a bridge. Do you think that could even be filmed today? Probably not. Which is one of the nice features of this film.