The Cavern (1964) User Reviews

Entertaining low budget effort.

[gordonl56 · 7/10 · 17 August 2014]

SETTE CONTRO LA MORTE (The Cavern) 1964

The film is set during World War Two in the mountains of Italy. A group of people are cut off from the outside world when a cave in traps them inside a massive cavern. The cavern was being used by the Axis forces as a supply depot. It is well stocked with food and fuel for the electric generator.

Trapped inside are American soldiers, John Saxon and Larry Hagman, German officer, Hans Von Borsody, British officer, Brian Aherne, Canadian pilot Peter Marshall, Italian soldier, Nino Castelnuovo and the pretty Rosanna Schiaffino.

The group agrees to leave the war outside and work together to survive. After the group does a count of the supplies etc, they decide to try and dig out. Needless to say the presence of Miss Schiaffino causes more than a little tension between several of the men.

After a hundred plus days in the cave, and several failed attempts to find a way out, the food and fuel begins to run out. Several of the group lose their minds and end up dead. Another drowns trying to swim out of the underground river and so on. It is only a chance explosion set off by mistake that frees the survivors.

Not a world class film by any means. But, considering the low budget involved, it fills the time well enough. Well worth a look in my books. This was the last film of noted b film director, Edgar G. Ulmer. Ulmer was the director of the low budget film noir gem, DETOUR.

Better than it looks. Worth a watch.

[MikeNTxs · 6/10 · 17 January 2020]

I was going to give this movie a 5 and say, "This is a solid 5!" Then I decided that if it's such a solid 5, why don't I give it a 6?

Why?, you may ask.

I watched it on FX cable last night, having missed the first 10 minutes or so. They were already trapped in the cavern. In a few minutes I was hooked. I happened across it again a few hours later just after the credits and caught the first few minutes until I was up with where I came in. Then I almost sat to watch it again. That alone says something.

Let's get some things out of the way about this film. This is in the public domain. It was shot in 1.85:1, but was broadcast in 4:3. It was broadcast on an HD channel, but still looked as if I was watching it through a silk screen. It may have been a 16mm transfer or a multigenerational copy.

Do not judge a book by its cover.

Many of the comments here about weakness in the script, character motivations and low budget production values are reasonable, but with a caveat. Many of those bad character decisions or odd motivations take place after being trapped in the cavern for weeks and months. When that is taken into account, some of the irrationality might be excused, or at least rationalized.

The cast is actually quite good, though half are likely unknown to most viewers.

The early exterior shots are not encouraging. The opening few minutes which set up the story look low budget. One German soldier stopped his motorcycle to give a report to an officer. After the report, he couldn't restart it, but they kept the "take".

Once the main characters are trapped in the cavern, however, the low budget matters less than the story.

Not everyone survives, and heroes and not-so-much heroes may not be who you expect. But that's a large part of what makes the film engaging.

It won't be the best ~80 minutes of your life, but it won't be a waste.

PS: One of these actors went on to a long-term gig as host of "Hollywood Squares". See if you can spot him. Another went on to be an iconic character on the TV series "Dallas". And this will be one of Brian Aherne's last roles, and not bad though certainly not his best.

A nice cast in a rather average film

[bensonmum2 · 5/10 · 6 May 2020]

The Cavern is a wartime drama featuring an unlikely group of seven people who find themselves trapped in a cave in the Italian mountains. Those trapped include: a British general, an American officer and an American private, an Italian soldier, a German sergeant, a Canadian pilot, and a woman from a local village. Fortunately, the cave has been most recently used as an Italian supply dump. But can these people put their differences behind them and find a way to survive?

The Cavern isn't a great movie, but I found it a worthwhile watch. Most of the entertainment I got out of it came from the characters, their relationships, and their interactions. The cast is as eclectic as the characters they play, including genre fav John Saxon, Peter Marshall (it was more than a little weird seeing the long serving host of The Hollywood Squares in a WWII drama), the insanely beautiful Rosanna Schiaffino, Oscar nominee Brian Aherne, and Larry Hagman (yes, JR from Dallas is in The Cavern). The acting is about as good as you could hope for from a low-budget film American/Italian/German/Yugoslav(?) co-production like this. All do a reasonable job with what they're given to work with. For his last film, veteran director Edgar G. Ulmer created a claustrophobic, hopeless atmosphere. And, there are a few real gut-wrenching moments. The best has to be (and I won't spoil it) when one of the characters finally finds a way out of the giant cave system only to be met with the most ironic tragedy I think I could imagine. It's a very good, but heartbreaking moment.

But, as I said, it's not a perfect film. While I've credited Ulmer with creating atmosphere, there are far too many moments where the characters seem way more relaxed than they should given their circumstances. They play cards, they sing songs, they make jokes, they carry on like they don't have a care in the world. Even though they have food and water, I would expect more panic. It takes far too long for any of the characters to fully snap and have any sort of mental breakdown.

5/10

a low budget "B-movie" but as good as they get!

[crabturtle · 30 August 2001]

i saw this 37 years ago on the bottom of a double (possibly a triple) bill in a theater on Delancy st. in New York City. it wasn't the one i went to see but since i see every film released i stayed for it. it was a very pleasant surprise. i have always been fascinated by caves and have toured through most U.S. caverns so the title and basic setting of the film was immediately of interest. the only star i remember was John Saxon who i liked so that was another plus. beyond all that however, the film was unusally gripping and interesting. the plot details have escaped me over the years but it had to do with a small group of people (men & women) forced to be in a cave together even though they don't particularly like each other. these conflicts are brought to the surface in the claustrophobic space to result in various acts of agression and violence. there were no monsters in the cave as might be expected with such films but the drama between the characters i found to be surprisingly involving. i even saw it a second time.

I Dream of Jeannie and Hollywood Squares = This B Movie

[srkoho · 5/10 · 16 February 2020]

This one starts out like a sub B flick but gradually improves to a B- as Larry Hagman and Peter Marshall are the familiar faces in the cavern. I almost turned this one off 10 minutes in but hung in there and it turned out to be not a 1 1/2 hour time suck I thought it might be.

Excellent character drama set during WW2

[Viewer111 · 10/10 · 13 February 2020]

The Cavern is a poignant movie which is much more about character development and human interactions than it is about action/adventure. The setting is a diverse group being trapped in a cave along with a huge supply of food, munitions, and other supplies. I do not want to reveal any spoilers, but several of the scenes in this movie stayed with me for over forty years. A excellent movie. Hard to find it on any streaming services, which is a shame. I think it might be in the public domain, but I am not sure of that. If you can find it, or see it is playing, record it and make sure to give it a watch. Well worth the time.

I'm Pretty Sure...

[sunsetstrip-37579 · 3/10 · 7 June 2018]

First of all I'm the biggest John Saxon fan in the whole world. I can't think of a time when this guy showed up and didn't do his job-wasn'' convincing in a role? Never!

Big budget!! US Givt war footage, which these guys could never afford, mixed in with like a cheap shot of bricks falling from a truck. (The cars they use are so old and decrepit, it's funny)

But I'm pretty sure the whole purpose of this movie is for someone to see as much nakediditty as Rosanna Schiaffino / censors will allow.

I walked away from the movie for a couple minutes, you know multitasking, this is the first movie I can think of that sounds like it's dubbed...and it's not.

Really wretched. Really wretched.

Hidden gem about survival & societal issues

[brandonrp · 9/10 · 1 October 2020]

First of all, let me start off, by saying that I disagree with many other reviews on here, that state that this hidden gem, was supposedly poorly written. I think it's cause those reviewers were expecting this to be more of a military themed drama. However, this film only seems to use the world war 2 era Italy & military setting, as a disguise, for what the film is truly about. The instinct & will to survive, the human condition & relationships, a romantic triangle, sexual frustrations, class distinctions, & so much more. This film really covers so much ground, with such a simple premise. A small group of people are trapped in a cave, in World War 2 era Italy, & must struggle to survive, & find a way out. They luckily find food, & other supplies, essential to their survival. Sadly, several people die, one while attempting an escape. I particularly enjoyed the romantic triangle between Nino Castelnuovo, Rosanna Schiffaino, & John Saxon. I can absolutely relate to Nino Castelnuovo's character, as I all too familiar with what it's like to be the nice guy, who get's trapped in the Friend zone. I also particularly enjoyed Brian Aherne's character, & the way he hilariously tries to order Rosanna Schiffaino's character around. Oh, & when he gets drunk with Larry Hagman, lol. There is also one scene that shockingly comes close to showing nudity. I think the writing works perfectly, with the way the characters interact with each other, & trying to maintain their ranks. I've seen some other posts that knocked the low production values, but in my opinion, those low budget values are one of the film's strengths. For me, it adds to the setting & story, & caught my attention. Also, shooting in black & white, gives it a somber\dark tone, for much of the film. Especially in the cave scenes, there is a sense of darkness & foreboding. For me, it just wouldn't have had the same effect, with a large budget, fancy effects, & color cinematography. Also, let me say that I absolutely dig that groovy '60s theme song, played over the opening credits, by Bobby Bare! It gets stuck in my head, for days on end!

The original WTF movie

[drystyx · 3/10 · 2 June 2012]

Maybe this isn't the first WTF movie, but it certainly is in the running, and certainly the epitome of a WTF (What the Flock!) movie.

This movie, on the surface, is about people of different nationalities and sides during a war, being trapped in a cavern together. The social plot is about the "class" warfare, as the "officer" class becomes the majority, and the one "enlisted" man becomes the leader.

This should have been a good movie. The very nature of it destined it to "cult classic" status, but the writing is perhaps the worst you could get for what could have been great.

We want to cheer for the lone enlisted man, John Saxon, whose everyday looks made him a natural for the "Everyman", but his character looks to be written by someone who has never been in the "enlisted" class.

We have one German surviving to reach the cavern, who becomes the solitary enemy figure, but not a nemesis. In fact, he is one of the more rational of the characters. The nemesis figure comes from a cliché of a rich jerk, played by Hagman. However, Saxon's character is so poorly written, that we have a hard time pulling for him against the cliché jerk.

This is a great example of a great idea gone sour by poor writing. Not surprising to those of us who have sat in bard meetings where decisions over writing are made. It's always best to let one writer submit and at most one other to edit, before the director makes his final "rewrite", which most directors do. Today, you even have prima donna actors doing "rewrites", which is why you have so much garbage on film.

Those of us from the "enlisted" class want to cheer for this movie, and maybe that is why I don't rate it "1" or "2", but it is laughably bad. A real WTF movie, made worse by the fact that it did the worst job with a great idea.

Doesn't work overall, but it is interesting

[Wizard-8 · 18 June 2017]

The final film of legendary B movie director Edgar G. Ulmer, "The Cavern" isn't a movie that succeeds overall, but it does have some interesting aspects here and there that make you all the same stick around to watch it to the very end. It was obvious made on a painfully low budget, judging by some aspects like the somewhat blurry cinematography and other shabby production values. A bigger problem with the movie come from the script. The movie doesn't take very long to introduce the characters and get them stuck in the cave - less than ten minutes, as it turns out. Some more pre-disaster character development would have helped. And when it comes to the direction, there is a curious lack of tension. The characters take their predicament way too calmly until near the very end.

Despite those (and other problems), the movie manages to generate some interest. You'll be curious to see if the characters manage to escape their situation. It's also interesting to see John Saxon and Larry Hagman before they became famous. The best audience for this movie, however, is for low budget filmmakers. They will learn a lot from this film as to how to stretch a dollar and what to do (and not to do) when they make their own low budget movies. The movie does not work for the most part, but it is peculiar enough to not be an especially painful viewing experience.

A motley crew

[bkoganbing · 3/10 · 17 January 2020]

A motley group of friends and foes during World War 2 are trapped in The Cavern during the Italian campaign. Junior officers and enlisted men, a woman Rosanna Schiaffino and a British general Brian Aherne. General Aherne tries to enforce some discipline, but is more concerned with making sure they all know rank has its privileges.

Some Axis folks buried a large quantity of ammunition in the place also and apparently forgot it. And I would think that if a general goes MIA the British would be making a 'no stone left unturned' search for him.

Not to mention the presence of one attractive woman amongst a few soldiers with some needs.

This was one mediocre war film.

On an A budget, this might have been a masterpiece. As is, it's one of the best examples of coulda, woulda, shoulda.

[mark.waltz · 9/10 · 7 June 2023]

It is obvious to me as I began getting into the story of a group of strangers from around the world hiding from Nazis in a secret cavern out in the middle of nowhere in occupied Italy, post Mussolini. The film has a unique psychological feel from the start, so when I discover that the legendary master of the B's, Edgar J. Ulmer, had directed it, I greeted that fact with the thought, "This explains a lot." There are four key players: John Saxon, Larry Hagman, Brian Aherne and Rosanna Schiaffino.

At first, I found Aherne's British war correspondent to be a pompous bore but quickly grew to understand him if not completely like him, an element that perhaps was intended. Living among strangers in a dour war torn world changes people, and his pretentiousness lessens as he becomes used to his surroundings. Saxon is the focus along with the beautiful but fiery Schiaffino who is obviously prepared to fight off any nonsense which also includes her on and off lover and a German officer.

The low budget may make the film seem slow and lifeless to some viewers, but for me, that helped flesh out the characters and really show the dirty elements of how they were forced to live. I could see this in color with Newman, McQueen, Loren and Aherne, but there's a darker theme present thanks to what Ulmer envisioned, especially claustrophobic as they try to move through a river and a very low cave ceiling which made me feel uncomfortable, as if I was there. For that, this becomes one of the surpring above average B war films of the 60's that is nearly perfect and would have seemed like a completely different film had it been done on a higher budget, in color and with the alternative cast I mention above.

Well made adventure drama....

[CurtHerzstark · 24 May 2012]

Director Edgar G. Ulmer is mostly famous for one of the best film noirs ever made, Detour (1945)and therefore I was curious to see what else he has made.

This adventure drama about a group of people that gets trapped inside a fallout shelter/cave, is a exciting albeit slightly flawed film.

The group consists of a retired general(Brian Aherne), now working as war correspondent, a GI joe(John Saxon) who has been stripped of his rank,an Italian soldier( Nino Castelnuovo), army publicist(Larry Hagman) escorting the general, Italian civilian(Rosanna Schiaffino), Canadian POW(Peter Marshall) and a German soldier(Hans von Borsody) Despite different background, gender, these people must learn to co-operate in order to escape. There are some great scenes here when looking at this group and dynamics between them.

This film is like classical excerise in a philosophical discussion about ethics, human values and the darwinian model for survival.

Asking questions like:

Who is best leader?

Do everyone deserve a fair share of the small amount of food?

These and other vital questions are what film deals with and in way the film reflects society in a smaller scale.

The acting is very good and is surprise for modern viewers to see actors like Larry Hagman, now mostly famous for his role as JR Ewing in the soap opera Dallas, here showing a wider range then usual.

Same thing can be said about John Saxon who has(and still have) a long career, playing all kinds of characters. Here he does a good job playing a street smart soldier with disciplinary difficulties.

Rosanna Schiaffino is a new face for me but she is very believable as the only female stuck in cave surround by men. She very attractive something that causes tensions within the group.

Who should she choose?

Brian Aherne is just excellent, he plays his character with great subtlety, someone whos old ways doesn't really fit in with rest of the group. Time seems to have run away from him, and he can't keep up.

This film seems to be a lowbudget feature but Edgar G. Ulmer knew what he was doing, using the outmost of his small resources. The biggest flaw is in the script, where some character archs don't develop properly, the film is too long and should been shorter.

So future viewers that liked Lifeboat (1944), The Edge (1997), Sands of the Kalahari (1965)should get a kick out of this one.

A group of people trapped in a cavern by an accident of war.

[kinter2 · 23 September 2003]

Contains spoiler The cavern was known to authorities and stocked with provisions, including batteries. The members of the party included a German officer, an American GI, an Italian woman and several others. The German becomes part of their group and finds a way out but is shot by Americans as he gets out of the cave and he falls back into the cave and dies without being able to reveal the exit. He is not found after his death. That was the only thing I found odd about the movie in that his body would begin to smell and they should have been able to find him.

The major premise of the movie is that people have to get along with each other regardless of their "sides." Peter Marshall dies in an attempt to escape via the stream that runs through the cave. It was an absorbing story which I found fascinating. It was kinda offbeat as well.