''Hell Below Zero'' is a 1954 British-American

adventure film An adventure film is a form of adventure fiction, and is a genre of film. Subgenres of adventure films include swashbuckler films, pirate films, and survival films. Adventure films may also be combined with other film genres such as action, an ...

directed by Mark Robson and starring

Alan Ladd Alan Walbridge Ladd (September 3, 1913 – January 29, 1964) was an American actor and film producer. Ladd found success in film in the 1940s and early 1950s, particularly in films noir and Westerns. He was often paired with Veronica Lake ...

Joan Tetzel Joan Margaret Tetzel (June 21, 1921 – October 31, 1977) was an American actress. Early years Tetzel was born in New York City and grew up in the Spuyten Duyvil section of the Bronx. Her father, an illustrator, was Austrian, and her mother wa ...

Basil Sydney Basil Sydney (23 April 1894 – 10 January 1968) was an English stage and screen actor. Career Sydney made his name in 1915 in the London stage hit ''Romance'' by Edward Sheldon, with Broadway star Doris Keane, and he costarred with Keane in ...

and

Stanley Baker Sir William Stanley Baker (28 February 192828 June 1976) was a Welsh actor and film producer. Known for his rugged appearance and intense, grounded screen persona, he was one of the top British male film stars of the late 1950s, and later a pro ...

. It was written by

Alec Coppel Alec Coppel (17 September 1907 – 22 January 1972) was an Australian-born screenwriter, novelist and playwright. He spent the majority of his career in London and Hollywood, specialising in light thrillers, mysteries and sex comedies. He is best ...

and Max Trell based on the 1949 novel ''

The White South ''The White South'' is a 1949 thriller novel by the British writer Hammond Innes. It is set on a factory ship operation in the Antarctic Ocean. In 1954 it was adapted into the film ''Hell Below Zero'' directed by Mark Robson (film director), Mark ...

'' by

Hammond Innes Ralph Hammond Innes (15 July 1913 – 10 June 1998) was a British novelist who wrote over 30 novels, as well as works for children and travel books. Biography Innes was born in Horsham, Sussex, and educated at Feltonfleet School, Cobham, Surrey ...

, and presents interesting footage of

whaling Whaling is the process of hunting of whales for their usable products such as meat and blubber, which can be turned into a type of oil that became increasingly important in the Industrial Revolution. It was practiced as an organized industry ...

fleets in action. It was the second of Ladd's films for

Warwick Films Warwick Films was a film company founded by film producers Irving Allen and Albert R. Broccoli in London in 1951. The name was taken from the Warwick Hotel in London.Broccoli, Albert R., Zec Donald. ''When the Snow Melts''. Boxtree. 1998 Their fi ...

Production

The movie was part of a two-picture deal Ladd made with Warwick Films, following ''

The Red Beret ''The Red Beret'' (aka ''The Red Devils'', ''The Big Jump'' and retitled ''Paratrooper'' for the US release) is a 1953 British-American war film directed by Terence Young and starring Alan Ladd, Leo Genn and Susan Stephen. ''The Red Beret'' is ...

''. Ladd was paid $200,000 against 10% of the profits. During production it was known as ''White South'' and ''White Mantle''. Director Mark Robson wanted

Eugene Pallette Eugene William Pallette (July 8, 1889 – September 3, 1954) was an American actor who worked in both the silent and sound eras, performing in more than 240 productions between 1913 and 1946. After an early career as a slender leading man, ...

to play a role but Pallette was unhappy with the size of the part in the script. Shooting took place at

Pinewood Studios Pinewood Studios is a British film and television studio located in the village of Iver Heath, England. It is approximately west of central London. The studio has been the base for many productions over the years from large-scale films to te ...

near

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

."The Future Programme", ''Kinematograph Weekly'', 31 May 1956 p 14 The film included location footage shot in Antarctic waters. Albert Broccoli accompanied a

second unit Second unit is a discrete team of filmmakers tasked with filming shots or sequences of a production, separate from the main or "first" unit. The second unit will often shoot simultaneously with the other unit or units, allowing the filming stag ...

crew down there for over three months. The film's sets were designed by the

art director Art director is the title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, film industry, film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supervise and ...

Alex Vetchinsky Alex Vetchinsky ( Alec Hyman Vetchinsky; 9 November 1904 - 4 March 1980) was a BAFTA nominated British film art director and production designer. He worked on more than a hundred productions during a career that lasted between 1928 and 1974. Vet ...

Plot

The plot revolves around the death of Captain Nordahl, on a

factory ship A factory ship, also known as a fish processing vessel, is a large ocean-going vessel with extensive on-board facilities for processing and freezing caught fish or whales. Modern factory ships are automated and enlarged versions of the earlier wh ...

''Southern Harvester'' in

Antarctic The Antarctic ( or , American English also or ; commonly ) is a polar region around Earth's South Pole, opposite the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antarctic comprises the continent of Antarctica, the Kerguelen Plateau and other ...

waters, lost overboard in mysterious circumstances. Captain Nordahl is an associate in a Norwegian whaling company, Bland-Nordahl. Duncan Craig (

), an American, meets Judie Nordahl (

), the captain's daughter on his way to South Africa, where he gets even with a business partner who cheated him. With little money left and a desire to see Judie again, Craig signs on to be a mate on the ship taking Judie to Antarctica. On arrival in Antarctic waters, Craig finds suspicious evidence that seems to implicate skipper Erik Bland (

), the new captain of the factory ship, in a conspiracy. Another murder follows and the film concludes with a dramatic showdown on the ice.

Cast

as Duncan Craig *

as Judie Nordhal *

as Bland *

as Erik Bland *

Joseph Tomelty Joseph Tomelty (5 March 1911 – 7 June 1995) was an Irish actor, playwright, novelist, short-story writer and theatre manager. He worked in film, television, radio and on the stage. starring in Sam Thompson's 1960 play ''Over the Bridge''. ...

as Capt. McPhee *

Niall MacGinnis Patrick Niall MacGinnis (29 March 1913 – 6 January 1977) was an Irish actor who made around 80 screen appearances. Early life MacGinnis was born in Dublin in 1913.

as Dr. Howe * Jill Bennett as Gerda Petersen *

Peter Dyneley Peter Dyneley (13 April 1921 – 19 August 1977) was a British actor. Although he appeared in many smaller roles in both film and television, he is best remembered for supplying the voice of Jeff Tracy for the 1960s "Supermarionation" TV series ...

as Miller * Susan Rayne as Kathleen * Philo Hauser as Sandeborg *

Ivan Craig Walter Ivan Sackville Craig (22 February 1912 – 7 March 1995) was a British (Scottish) actor, the son of Dr. Eric S. Craig and Dorothy Gertrude Meldrum. Ivan Craig was born in Edinburgh. In 1940 he married Lilian May Davies, a fashion mo ...

as Larsen * Paddy Ryan as Manders *

Cyril Chamberlain Cyril Chamberlain (8 March 1909 – 5 December 1974) was an English film and television actor. He appeared in a number of the early ''Carry On'', ''Doctor'' and ''St. Trinian's'' films. Chamberlain was born on 8 March 1909 in London and died ...

as Factory Ship Radio Operator * Paul Homer as Kista Dan Radio Operator *

Edward Hardwicke Edward Cedric Hardwicke (7 August 1932 – 16 May 2011) was an English actor, who had a distinguished career on the stage and on-screen. He was best known for playing Captain Pat Grant in ''Colditz'' (1972-73), and Dr. Watson in Granada Te ...

as Ulvik *

John Witty John Witty (1915–1990) was a British film and television actor. Witty's distinguished voice appeared extensively on various series and documentary short films. He presented the TV series ''Mail Call'' (1955–56) with his wife Genine Graham ...

as Martens * Brandon Toomey as Christiansen *

Genine Graham Genine Graham (9 December 1926, London – 11 May 1997, London) was an English actress. She trained at LAMDA, and played the title role of the mermaid ''Miranda'' in the original West End production of Peter Blackmore's play, later filmed with G ...

as Stewardess * Basil Cunard as Office Manager * Fred Griffiths as Drunken Sailor *

John Warren John Warren may refer to: Medicine * John Warren (surgeon) (1753–1815), American surgeon during the Revolutionary War * John Collins Warren (1778–1856), American surgeon * John Collins Warren Jr. (1842–1927), American surgeon, son of John C ...

as Hotel Receptionist *

Philip Ray Philip Ray (born Roy Edgar Cochrane, 1 November 1898 – 11 May 1978) was a British stage, film and television actor. Occasionally credited as Phil Ray, he played numerous and varied supporting roles, particularly in films and on television. He ...

as Capt. Petersen * Paul Connell as Svensen *

Glyn Houston Glyn Houston (23 October 1925 – 30 June 2019) was a Welsh actor best known for his television work. He was the younger brother of film actor Donald Houston. Early life Glyndwr Desmond Houston was born at 10 Thomas Street, Tonypandy, Glamorgan ...

as Borg

References

External links

* * * * {{Irving Allen 1954 films British adventure films 1954 adventure films Columbia Pictures films Films about whaling Films based on British novels Films based on works by Hammond Innes Films directed by Mark Robson Films scored by Clifton Parker Films shot at Pinewood Studios Films set in Antarctica Films with screenplays by Richard Maibaum 1950s English-language films American adventure films 1950s American films 1950s British films