Malta Story (1953)

Director:

Brian Desmond Hurst

Writers:

Thorold Dickinson (idea) and
Peter De Sarigny (idea) ...
(more)

Release Date:

5 August 1954 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History | War

Plot:

In 1942 Britain was clinging to the island of Malta since it was critical to keeping Allied supply lines open...

Plot Keywords:

Malta | World War Two

Cast

Alec Guinness	...	Flight Lt. Peter Ross
Jack Hawkins	...	Air CO Frank
Anthony Steel	...	Wing Cmdr Bartlett
Muriel Pavlow	...	Maria Gonzar
Renée Asherson	...	Joan Rivers (as Renee Asherson)
Hugh Burden	...	Eden, Security
Nigel Stock	...	Giuseppe Gonzar aka Ricardi
Reginald Tate	...	Vice Adm Payne
Ralph Truman	...	Vice Adm Willie Banks
Flora Robson	...	Melita Gonzar, Maria's Mum
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ronald Adam	...	British Officer (uncredited)
Derek Aylward	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Ivor Barnard	...	Old Man (uncredited)
Peter Bull	...	Flying Officer (uncredited)
Stuart Burge	...	Paolo Gonzar, Maria's Brother (uncredited)
Edward Chaffers	...	Stripey (uncredited)
Michael Craig	...	British Officer (uncredited)
Rosalie Crutchley	...	Carmella Gonzar, Paolo's Wife (uncredited)
Maurice Denham	...	British Officer (uncredited)
Jerry Desmonde	...	General (uncredited)
Thomas Heathcote	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Gordon Jackson	...	British Soldier (uncredited)
Geoffrey Keen	...	British Soldier (uncredited)
Dermot Kelly	...	British soldier at airport (uncredited)
Sam Kydd	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Richard Leven	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Colin Loudan	...	O'Connor (uncredited)
Victor Maddern	...	Grouchy Soldier Clearing Rocks (uncredited)
Michael Medwin	...	Ramsey, CO 'Phantom' Squadron (uncredited)
Lee Patterson	...	Officer on Back of Truck (uncredited)
William Russell	...	Officer in Prison (uncredited)
Marc Sheldon	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Harold Siddons	...	Matthews, Bomber Pilot (uncredited)
Noel Willman	...	Hobley, Navy Pilot (uncredited)

Directed by
Brian Desmond Hurst

Writing credits
Thorold Dickinson		(idea) and
Peter De Sarigny		(idea) (as Peter de Sarigny)
William Fairchild		(screenplay) and
Nigel Balchin		(screenplay)
William Fairchild		(story)
Hugh P. Lloyd		(author of "Briefed to Attack") (as Sir Hugh P. Lloyd K.C.B. K.B.E. M.C. D.F.C.)

Produced by
Peter De Sarigny	....	producer
Earl St. John	....	executive producer

Original Music by
William Alwyn

Cinematography by
Robert Krasker		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Michael Gordon

Casting by
Weston Drury Jr.		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
John Howell

Makeup Department
W.T. Partleton	....	makeup artist (as W.T.Partleton)
Biddy Chrystal	....	hair stylist (uncredited)

Production Management
Hugh Attwooll	....	production manager (as H. R. R. Attwooll)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michael Gordon	....	second unit director
George Pollock	....	assistant director
Bert Batt	....	third assistant director (uncredited)
Maurice Gibson	....	third assistant director (uncredited)
Pat Marsden	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
John Box	....	draughtsman (uncredited)
Robert Cartwright	....	draughtsman (uncredited)
Bert Gaiters	....	property master (uncredited)
Dario Simoni	....	set dresser (uncredited)

Sound Department
Gordon K. McCallum	....	sound recordist (as Gordon K.McCullum)
John W. Mitchell	....	sound recordist
Eric Wood	....	sound editor
Noreen Ackland	....	assistant sound editor (uncredited)
Bill Daniels	....	dubbing crew (uncredited)
Basil Fenton-Smith	....	boom operator (uncredited)
Fred Hughesdon	....	sound maintenance (uncredited)
George Willows	....	sound camera operator (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Bill Warrington	....	special effects
Albert Whitlock	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Bert Marshall	....	effects cameraman

Camera and Electrical Department
E. Steward	....	second unit cameraman
H.A.R. Thomson	....	camera operator (as H. A. R. Thomson)
Ian Jeayes	....	still photographer (uncredited)
John Morgan	....	clapper loader (uncredited)
Reginald H. Morris	....	focus puller (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Dorothy Edwards	....	wardrobe supervisor: women (uncredited)
Bob Rayner	....	wardrobe supervisor: men (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Derek Armstrong	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Muir Mathieson	....	conductor

Other crew
Arthur Alcott	....	production controller: Pinewood Studios
Tilly Day	....	continuity
Teresa Bolland	....	production secretary (uncredited)
Ken Green	....	publicity manager (uncredited)

Thanks
Hugh P. Lloyd	....	the producers gratefully acknowledge the help of (as Sir Hugh P. Lloyd K.C.B. K.B.E. M.C. D.F.C.)

Production Companies

• J. Arthur Rank Organisation (presents) (as The J. Arthur Rank Organisation)
• Theta (as A Theta Film Production)
• British Film-Makers (uncredited)
• Ealing Studios (uncredited)

Distributors

• General Film Distributors (GFD) (1953) (UK) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1954) (USA) (theatrical)
• Carlton Visual Entertainment (2004) (UK) (DVD)
• Futurevision Ltd. (1986) (UK) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Admiralty, The  the producers gratefully acknowledge the help of (as the Admiralty)
• Air Ministry, The  the producers gratefully acknowledge the help of (as the Air Ministry)
• D&P Studios  logo
• Government and People of Malta  the producers gratefully acknowledge the help of (as the Government and People of Malta)
• Malta Drama League, The  the producers gratefully acknowledge the help of (as The Malta Drama League)
• War Office, The  the producers gratefully acknowledge the help of (as the War Office)

Also Known As:

"The Malta Story" - International (English title) (informal title)

Runtime:

UK:103 min | USA:97 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

UK:U | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #17089, General Audience) | Australia:G

Filming Locations:

Malta

Company:

J. Arthur Rank Organisation

Trivia:

First feature of Lee Patterson.

Stirring from both land and air...

Having never had a chance to visit this island, nor been made aware of its importance to the allied forces during WW II, I appreciated the snatch of history of Malta and its inhabitants and of the incredibly impressive air shots of the RAF at work. Other commentators say much of this footage is archival; if so, then the editing is commendable, as is the transitional camera work, which is virtually seamless. In this day and age when so many battles and flight scenes are achieved by graphic simulation, I feel there is a sense of integrity in this film that cannot be easily duplicated today, regardless of all of the technology at our disposal. This is perhaps the quality of Ealing studios at work.

The black and white graininess of the film also gives it a documentary feel -- the strong light and shadow of the landscape shots of air, water and rocks that give us the vivid sense of place -- remind me also of Italian verismo cinema and reinforce that impression.

As for the acting, I did not feel it in the least "wooden." Actors who emote all over the place are not necessarily conveying true emotion: they are "acting." As with certain aspects of Italian cinema, more is conveyed in what is left out and held back than what is overtly revealed. I felt all of the performances, and especially Guinness's, and including his leading lady, were true to their character. The intelligence in his eyes and the slight, fleeting change of expression in his face, as he reacts, for example, to Hawkins' approval of his reconnaissance flights, is an example of the subtlety that would characterize all of Guinness's performances. Viewers who expect too much overt emotion are possibly allowing the actors on screen to experience it for them, rather than being drawn into the emotion and circumstance of the onscreen drama unfolding. Calling it a "stiff upper lip" may be one easy way to describe it, but one does have a sense in this film of people with some depth and substance, depicted with a visual honesty, who are caught in a life and death situation.

Of four stars, at least three *** without reservation.