Ten Seconds to Hell
| Ten Seconds to Hell | |
|---|---|
Theatrical poster
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| Directed by | Robert Aldrich |
| Produced by | Michael Carreras |
| Written by | Robert Aldrich (writer) Lawrence P. Bachmann (novel "The Phoenix") Teddi Sherman |
| Starring |
Jack Palance Jeff Chandler Martine Carol Robert Cornthwaite Virginia Baker Richard Wattis Wesley Addy Dave Willock James Goodwin Nancy Lee |
| Music by |
Muir Mathieson Kenneth V. Jones Richard Farrell |
| Cinematography | Ernest Laszlo |
| Edited by | Henry Richardson |
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Production
company |
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| Distributed by | United Artists (USA) (1959, original) MGM (current) Kino Lorber (under license from MGM) (2015, Blu-Ray DVD) |
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Release date
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16 June 1959 |
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Running time
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93 min. |
| Country | United Kingdom West Germany |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $1.1 million |
| Box office | 331,938 admissions (France) |
Ten Seconds To Hell (released in the UK as The Phoenix) is a 1959 British and West German film directed by Robert Aldrich and based upon Lawrence P. Bachmann's novel, The Phoenix. The Hammer Films/UFA joint production stars Jack Palance, Jeff Chandler and Martine Carol.
Set in the aftermath of World War II, the film focuses on a half-dozen German POW's who return to a devastated Berlin and find employment as a bomb disposal squad, tasked with clearing the city of unexploded Allied bombs. Their fatalistic duties lead them to form a macabre pact; they donate a part of their individual paychecks into a pool that those still surviving at the end of three months divide the money. Eventually, only two men are left, and they are both in love with the same woman.
Robert Aldrich's direction is noted for its meticulous attention to the techniques of bomb deactivation and disposal.
In post-war Berlin, British Major Haven (Richard Wattis) recruits members of a returning German bomb disposal unit, Hans Globke (James Goodwin), Peter Tillig (Dave Willock), Wolfgang Sulke (Wesley Addy), Franz Loeffler (Robert Cornthwaite), Karl Wirtz (Chandler) and Eric Koertner (Palance), to defuse unexploded Allied bombs scattered throughout the city.
Delighted by the well-paying position, Karl bets Eric that he will outlive him. Although initially taken aback by the wager, the other men soon agree that half of their salaries will go to the survivors of the dangerous mission in three months' time. The British provide the men new uniforms and equipment, and assign Frau Bauer (Virginia Baker) as their liaison. Karl volunteers to lead the unit, but the men vote for the reluctant Eric instead.
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Wikipedia