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Fire Down Below (1957)

 -  Adventure | Drama  -  May 1957 (UK)
5.9
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Ratings: 5.9/10 from 757 users  
Reviews: 26 user | 4 critic

Tony and Felix own a tramp boat, and sail around the Caribbean doing odd jobs and drinking a lot. They agree to ferry the beautiful but passportless Irena to another island. They both fall ... See full summary »

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(screenplay), (novel)
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Title: Fire Down Below (1957)

Fire Down Below (1957) on IMDb 5.9/10

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
...
Irena
...
Felix
...
...
Harbour Master
Bonar Colleano ...
Lt. Sellers
...
Dr. Sam
Edric Connor ...
Jimmy Jean
Peter Illing ...
Captain of Ulysses
Joan Miller ...
Mrs. Canaday
...
Miguel
...
Hotel Owner
Lionel Murton ...
The American
Vivian Matalon ...
1st U.S. Sailor
Gordon Tanner ...
2nd U.S. Sailor
Maurice Kaufmann ...
3rd U.S. Sailor
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Storyline

Tony and Felix own a tramp boat, and sail around the Caribbean doing odd jobs and drinking a lot. They agree to ferry the beautiful but passportless Irena to another island. They both fall for her, leading to betrayal and a break-up of their partnership. Tony takes a job on a cargo ship. After a collision he finds himself trapped below deck with time running out (the ship is aflame), and only Felix, whom he hates and has sworn to kill, left to save him. Written by John Oswalt <jao@jao.com>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Taglines:

THREE OF THE BIGGEST IN ONE OF THE BEST! (original print ad - all caps) See more »

Genres:

Adventure | Drama

Certificate:

Approved | See all certifications »
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Details

Country:

|

Language:

Release Date:

May 1957 (UK)  »

Also Known As:

Das Spiel mit dem Feuer  »

Filming Locations:

 »

Company Credits

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Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

(Westrex Recording System)

Color:

(Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Inspired by their location shoot in Trinidad/Tobago, Robert Mitchum recorded a calypso album, and Jack Lemmon scored a harmonica theme for the movie. See more »

Goofs

On the first day out with Irena, they have engine trouble and they indicate trouble with the port engine, however, Felix adjusts the controls for the starboard engine. See more »

Quotes

Irena: Sometimes you wonder what God had in mind when He invented the male sex.
See more »


Soundtracks

"Fire Down Below"
Sung by Jeri Southern
Written by Lester Lee and Ned Washington
Courtesy of Decca Records
See more »

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User Reviews

 
odd film, probably due to odd editing
20 April 2011 | by (United States) – See all my reviews

Rita Hayworth, Robert Mitchum, and Jack Lemmon star in "Fire Down Below," a 1957 film. Hayworth plays Irena, a woman with a mysterious European past and no passport. Mitchum and Lemmon are Felix and Tony, who run a ferry boat in the Caribbean. They are paid to take Irena to another island. Felix (Mitchum) knows she's trouble and worse than that, he's attracted to her. Tony (Lemmon) falls for Irena and, when she leaves the ferry, he accompanies her.

The film takes an odd turn here - Tony wants to marry Irena, so he takes a job transporting illegal goods to get some money together. But someone has tipped off the police. Tony and his associate escape, and Tony ends up on a Greek ship. The ship has an accident, and Tony is trapped in the hold.

This film starts out as one thing - a love triangle, a mysterious woman with a checkered past, two friends who become enemies - and becomes the story of a man facing death in the cargo hold of a ship. That part goes on too long, and we don't see what's the happenings on dry land. We are told them toward the end of the film. It just felt like something was missing.

There are suspenseful moments and good acting. Mitchum plays the sardonic Felix well, and Lemmon is, as always, likable as Tony and handles both the light and dramatic scenes very well. I do think for this role his casting was somewhat strange. I think like Hayworth he was trying to fulfill contractual obligations to Columbia. Hayworth is a long way from her Gilda days, but a striking woman. Her hard life, like the life of the character, has caught up with her. She doesn't display a lot of range in the role but has a knockout dance number during Mardi Gras that is very much the old Rita.

Interesting for the cast.


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