Tank Force (1958)
"No Time to Die" (original title)

Daniel Thatcher is an American sergeant serving with a British tank corps in North Africa. He and most of his unit are captured by the Germans, who learn his identity as a man who once ... See full summary »

Director:

Terence Young

Writers:

Richard Maibaum, Merle Miller (story),

Stars:

Victor Mature, Leo Genn, Bonar Colleano

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Victor Mature	...	Sgt. David H. Thatcher
Leo Genn	...	Sgt. Kendall
Bonar Colleano	...	The Polish POW [Walewski?]
Anthony Newley	...	Pvt. 'Tiger' Noakes
Alfred Burke	...	Capt. Ritter
Richard Marner	...	German colonel
Martin Boddey	...	SS colonel
Percy Herbert	...	1st English soldier
Kenneth Cope	...	2nd English soldier
David Lodge	...	Maj. Fred Patterson, Australian POW
Sean Kelly	...	Bartlett
Kenneth Fortescue	...	Cpl. Johnson
Maxwell Shaw	...	The Sheikh
George Coulouris	...	Italian POW camp commandant
Luciana Paluzzi	...	Carola (manager of The Lido)

Storyline

Daniel Thatcher is an American sergeant serving with a British tank corps in North Africa. He and most of his unit are captured by the Germans, who learn his identity as a man who once tried to assassinate Josef Goebbels, Hitler's right-hand man. Thatcher's wife was killed in the concentration camps, and now, after his failed attempt to kill the Nazi leader, Thatcher is a real prize for his captors. But Thatcher prefers not to go back to Germany as a prize, so he leads his fellow tankers in an escape attempt.

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Plot Keywords:

tank | soldier

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Genres:

Drama | War

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

August 1958 (USA)

Also Known As:

Tank Force

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warwick Film Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

86 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Sgt. David H. Thatcher: He's not worth saving, not even for THAT!

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Connections

Referenced in Cubby Broccoli: The Man Behind Bond (2000)

User Reviews

Tanks a Million!

"Tank Force!" is an American paid for WWII programmer starring an aging Victor Mature and a supporting cast of of British stalwarts lead by Leo Genn the kind of English character actor who made many B movies that much more watchable.

The plot revolves around a prisoner of war camp in the Libyan desert populated by the usual stereotypes including the young, at the time, song and dance man, Anthony Newley. Five members of the camp belong to a tank battalion who at this juncture are obviously tankless,but being typical and jovial beyond reproach, break out and go wandering through the dunes looking for a safe place to crash. They find it in an old oasis hotel filled to overflowing with the usual churlish Nazi horde. And would you believe, an old girlfriend of Mr. Mature. She gives them food and water and is bumped off in a shorter order than it would have taken the kitchen to order up. Poor Luciana Paluzzo is kissed on the forehead, covered up with a blanket and left to find a job in a better flick than this one.

The five sand fleas wander off into the Libyan night pursued by Nazis and a nasty Arab chieftain. Everything deserty you can think of happens to them until they are caught. Old Vic endures the torture of a thousand knives until a nice German flings a map of dune country at them along with a loaded pistol.The kraut then turns and shoots himself undoubtedly disturbed by the insane torture perpetrated on Mr. Vic.

It all ends with a B movie finale as the proto Rat Patrol steals a German tank and kills everybody in sight.

A serviceable time waster, then, with opening and closing tank battles in 1958 widescreen and color. Hail Columbia! The movie company that is.