Valley of Eagles (1951)   Starring: Jack Warner, Nadia Gray and John McCallum Distributor: Fabulous Films Ltd / Fremantle Media Enterprises RRP: £14.99 Certificate: PG Release Date: 24 February 2014

Dr. Nils Ahlen seems to have it all, a prominent scientist who has discovered a way of turning sound into electricity and a beautiful wife at home. This all changes when he returns from his triumphant demonstration of his new technique to discover his wife and assistant missing and parts of his machine stolen. Distrustful of the police’s ability to discover the truth Nils starts to investigate on his own. Eventually, when Nils realises that Inspector Peterson is not as bumbling as he would appear, the two head north, into the frozen wastes of Lapland in pursuit of the missing pair and the truth...

Valley of the Eagles (B&W- 1951 - 1 hr, 18 min, 56 sec) is a thriller directed by Terence Young, who would go on to direct Dr No (1962) and From Russia with Love (1963).

Set in Sweden, the film is a very odd hodgepodge of ideas. When it opens it feels like a traditional spy thriller with his wife, Helga (Mary Laura Wood) and Sven (Anthony Dawson) stealing the good doctor's work and heading for Russia to sell the secrets. Hot on their tail is Nils (John McCallum) and police inspector Peterson (Jack Warner).

However, much of this plot is underdeveloped and finally disposed of as the film turns first into a travelogue through Lapland and its indigenous peoples, finally shoe horning in a love story between Nils and Kara (Nadia Gray).

Had the plot confined itself to the invention and its potential impact on the world the film would have been a much duller thriller. As it is, it’s merely the excuse to go tromping across the inhospitable snow fields, allowing us to thrill at the chance that Nils and co may be eaten by wolves. The fact that they are rescued by Laplanders, riding reindeer and using eagles as weapons, is possibly the strangest image I have seen for a long while, but does much to keep the audience interest.

Nadia Grey only turns up in the film's second half, but she has real screen presence and ends up as the most memorable actor in the film. Of course, given his inclusion, much is made of Jack Warner’s contribution. He would, of course, go on to star in the long running Dixon of Dock Green. Generally the acting is a fine example of English reserve which sets up very strange relationships, including Nils's stoic acceptance of not only his wife’s infidelity, but also the fact that she has stolen and plans to sell his life’s work. Mind you, he has been able to meet and fall in love in a matter of days. It is a child of its time and so won’t necessarily appeal to everyone.

There are a few extras, the original posters, some shots from the film and biogs which read like they were written in the fifties. The sound is clear, but the print has a lot of dirt on it, although you don’t really notice it for much of the time, especially when a snow storm is happening.

So not a great film, the construction may turn some of, but still worth a look.

6

Charles Packer