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''Campbell's Kingdom'' is a 1957 British
adventure film The adventure film is a broad genre of film. Some early genre studies found it no different than the Western film or argued that adventure could encompass all Hollywood genres. Commonality was found among historians Brian Taves and Ian Cameron in ...
directed by
Ralph Thomas Ralph Philip Thomas (10 August 1915 – 17 March 2001) was an English film director who directed the Doctor (film series), ''Doctor'' film series. Thomas cast the actor James Robertson Justice in many of his films. He often worked with the pr ...
, based on the 1952 novel of the same name 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 ...
. The film stars
Dirk Bogarde Sir Dirk Bogarde (born Derek Jules Gaspard Ulric Niven van den Bogaerde; 28 March 1921 – 8 May 1999) was an English actor, novelist and screenwriter. Initially a matinée idol in films such as ''Doctor in the House (film), Doctor in the Hous ...
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 ...
, with Michael Craig,
Barbara Murray Barbara Ann Murray (27 September 1929 – 20 May 2014) was an English actress. Murray was most active in the 1940s and 1950s as a fresh-faced leading lady in many British films such as ''Passport to Pimlico'' (1949) and '' Meet Mr. Lucifer'' (1 ...
,
James Robertson Justice James Robertson Justice (15 June 1907 – 2 July 1975) was a British actor. He often portrayed pompous authority figures in comedies, including each of the seven films in the ''Doctor'' series. He also co-starred with Gregory Peck in seve ...
and
Sid James Sidney James (born Solomon Joel Cohen; 8 May 1913 – 26 April 1976) was a South African–British actor and comedian whose career encompassed radio, television, stage and screen. Noted for his distinctive laugh, he was best known for numerou ...
in support. The story is set in
Alberta Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...
, Canada, and largely follows the principles of the Northwestern genre of film-making.


Plot

Recently diagnosed with a terminal disease, Bruce Campbell unexpectedly finds himself the owner of a small valley in the Canadian
Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in great-circle distance, straight-line distance from the northernmost part of Western Can ...
as the result of a bequest from his grandfather. After travelling from England, Bruce arrives at "Campbell's Kingdom" (as the locals disparagingly call it) to find its existence under threat from the construction of a new
hydroelectricity Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is Electricity generation, electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies 15% of the world's electricity, almost 4,210 TWh in 2023, which is more than all other Renewable energ ...
dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aqua ...
. Convinced that his grandfather was right and that the Kingdom might yield
oil An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) and lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturate ...
, the race is on to prove that there is oil under Campbell's Kingdom before the mining company building the dam can flood the valley. Standing in his way is corrupt construction contractor Owen Morgan, who resorts to dirty tricks in order to prevent Campbell from succeeding in his quest. However, Bruce is ably and enthusiastically assisted by love interest Jean Lucas, geologist Boy Bladen and drilling contractor James MacDonald. Unfortunately for Campbell the residents of the nearby town of Come Lucky invested heavily in his grandfather's schemes, only to feel cheated when his projects came to nothing. Gradually Bruce manages to turn them around by exposing the fraud and lies of Morgan and the mining company.


Cast

*
Dirk Bogarde Sir Dirk Bogarde (born Derek Jules Gaspard Ulric Niven van den Bogaerde; 28 March 1921 – 8 May 1999) was an English actor, novelist and screenwriter. Initially a matinée idol in films such as ''Doctor in the House (film), Doctor in the Hous ...
as Bruce Campbell *
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 ...
as Owen Morgan * Michael Craig as Boy Bladen *
Barbara Murray Barbara Ann Murray (27 September 1929 – 20 May 2014) was an English actress. Murray was most active in the 1940s and 1950s as a fresh-faced leading lady in many British films such as ''Passport to Pimlico'' (1949) and '' Meet Mr. Lucifer'' (1 ...
as Jean Lucas *
James Robertson Justice James Robertson Justice (15 June 1907 – 2 July 1975) was a British actor. He often portrayed pompous authority figures in comedies, including each of the seven films in the ''Doctor'' series. He also co-starred with Gregory Peck in seve ...
as James MacDonald *
Athene Seyler Athene Seyler (31 May 188912 September 1990) was an English actress. Early life She was born in Hackney, London; her German-born grandparents moved to the United Kingdom, where her grandfather Philip Seyler was a merchant in London. Athene Se ...
as Miss Abigail *
Robert Brown Robert Brown may refer to: Robert Brown (born 1965), British Director, Animator and author Entertainers and artists * Washboard Sam or Robert Brown (1910–1966), American musician and singer * Robert W. Brown (1917–2009), American printmaker ...
as Ben Creasy *
John Laurie John Paton Laurie (25 March 1897 – 23 June 1980) was a Scottish stage, film, and television actor. He appeared in scores of feature films with directors including Alfred Hitchcock, David Lean, Michael Powell and Laurence Olivier, generally p ...
as Mac *
Sid James Sidney James (born Solomon Joel Cohen; 8 May 1913 – 26 April 1976) was a South African–British actor and comedian whose career encompassed radio, television, stage and screen. Noted for his distinctive laugh, he was best known for numerou ...
as Sam *
Mary Merrall Mary Merrall (5 January 1890 – 31 August 1973), born Elsie Lloyd, was an English actress whose career of over 60 years encompassed stage, film and television work. Stage career Merrall's stage career started in her teens, making her first stag ...
as Miss Ruth *
George Murcell Arthur George Murcell (30 October 1925 – 3 December 1998) was a British character actor. Life and career Born in Italy, he made his film debut in Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's '' The Battle of the River Plate'' (1956), Murcell wen ...
as Max * Roland Brand as Driver *
Finlay Currie William Finlay Currie (20 January 1878 – 9 May 1968) was a Scottish actor of stage, screen, and television.McFarlane, Brian (28 February 2014). ''The Encyclopedia of British Film: Fourth edition''. Oxford University Press. pp. 175-176; He rec ...
as Old Man *
Peter Illing Peter Illing (4 March 1899 – 29 October 1966) was an Austrian-born British film and television actor. Selected TV series * '' The Four Just Men'' (1959) as Dr Mozek * '' Deadline Midnight'' (1961) as Captain Dnieprovsky * '' The Saint'' (1962 ...
as the Doctor *
Maurice Kaufmann Maurice Harington Kaufmann (29 June 1927 – 21 September 1997) was a British actor of stage, film and television, who specialised in whodunits and horror films, from 1954 to 1981, when he retired. Personal life He was married to Honor Blackm ...
as Man at Golden Calf *
Stanley Maxted Stanley Maxted (21 August 1895 – 10 May 1963) was a Canadian soldier, singer, radio producer, journalist and actor. He worked for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and later for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) as a war cor ...
as Henry Fergus


Production


Development

Hammond Innes's novel was published in 1952 and was based on the Canadian oil boom of the late 1940s. Innes researched the novel extensively and it was a best seller. The story was serialised as ''Nothing to Lose''. Film rights were purchased prior to the novel's publication by the producing-directing team of
Betty Box Betty Evelyn Box (25 September 1915 – 15 January 1999) was a British film producer, usually credited as Betty E. Box. Early life and career Born in Beckenham, Kent, England, Betty Box initially planned to be a commercial artist or journalist. ...
and
Ralph Thomas Ralph Philip Thomas (10 August 1915 – 17 March 2001) was an English film director who directed the Doctor (film series), ''Doctor'' film series. Thomas cast the actor James Robertson Justice in many of his films. He often worked with the pr ...
, who had just made ''
The Venetian Bird ''Venetian Bird'' (U.S. title ''The Assassin'') is a 1952 British thriller film directed by Ralph Thomas and starring Richard Todd, Eva Bartok and John Gregson. The screenplay was adapted by Victor Canning from his 1950 novel of the same title. ...
'' (1952) for the Rank Organisation.
Location scouting Location scouting is a vital process in the pre-production stage of filmmaking and commercial photography. Once scriptwriters, producers or directors have decided what general kind of scenery they require for the various parts of their work ...
for the film began in August 1952, with Box and Thomas touring the
Canadian Rockies The Canadian Rockies () or Canadian Rocky Mountains, comprising both the Alberta Rockies and the British Columbian Rockies, is the Canadian segment of the North American Rocky Mountains. It is the easternmost part of the Canadian Cordillera, w ...
. It was part of conscious decision from Rank to film more abroad. "That serial title refers to the hero's special armour", said Ralph Thomas in September 1952. "He's a young Canadian whose friends help him strike oil on a piece of land willed by his grandfather to disprove the general belief that the old man was unhinged. And he happens to be fatally stricken. He's a dying man." "There's quite a bit of room for suspense", said Betty Box. "For one thing a big oil company is obstructing him. Our climax will have the gusher flooded by a break in a huge dam. With an ingenious twist."
Eric Ambler Eric Clifford Ambler OBE (28 June 1909 – 23 October 1998) was an English author of thrillers, in particular spy novels, who introduced a new realism to the genre. Also working as a screenwriter, Ambler used the pseudonym Eliot Reed for books ...
was assigned to write the script. In 1954
Jack Hawkins John Edward Hawkins, CBE (14 September 1910 – 18 July 1973) was an English actor who worked on stage and in film from the 1930s until the 1970s. One of the most popular British film stars of the 1950s, he was known for his portrayal of mili ...
and
Shelley Winters Shelley Winters (born Shirley Schrift; August 18, 1920 – January 14, 2006) was an American film actress whose career spanned seven decades. She won Academy Awards for ''The Diary of Anne Frank (1959 film), The Diary of Anne Frank'' (1959) and ' ...
were mentioned as possible stars. However, because it was an expensive project the film took a number of years to be financed. Box and Thomas had a major box office hit in ''
Doctor in the House Doctor in the House may refer to: * Doctor in the House (novel), ''Doctor in the House'' (novel), a 1952 novel by Richard Gordon ** Doctor in the House (film), ''Doctor in the House'' (film), a 1954 British film adaptation of the novel *** Doctor i ...
'' (1954) which turned
Dirk Bogarde Sir Dirk Bogarde (born Derek Jules Gaspard Ulric Niven van den Bogaerde; 28 March 1921 – 8 May 1999) was an English actor, novelist and screenwriter. Initially a matinée idol in films such as ''Doctor in the House (film), Doctor in the Hous ...
into a star. Bogarde became attached to ''Campbell's Kingdom''. The film was almost made after '' Doctor at Sea'' (1955) when there was a financial crisis in the British film industry and Rank requested Box, Thomas and Bogarde make a third "Doctor" film, '' Doctor at Large'' (1957), instead. While this was done, Box, Ambler and Innes worked on the script to reduce the budget. The tremendous success of '' Doctor at Large'' led to Rank financing ''Campbell's Kingdom''. "We'd all earned a change of subject, we felt", wrote Box later. The film would be one of a number of films made by the Rank Organisation in the 1950s to appeal to the international market. They tended to be adventure films shot on location overseas in colour based on some best selling novel. Other examples include ''
Windom's Way ''Windom's Way'' is a 1957 British thriller film directed by Ronald Neame and starring Peter Finch and Mary Ure. Made in Eastman Color, it is set during the Malayan Emergency. Neame said it "wasn’t a very good film." Premise Dr Alec Windom ...
'' (1957), ''
Robbery Under Arms ''Robbery Under Arms'' is a bushranger novel by Thomas Alexander Browne, published under his pen name Rolf Boldrewood. It was first published in serialised form by ''The Sydney Mail'' between July 1882 and August 1883, then in three volumes in ...
'' (1957), ''
The Wind Cannot Read ''The Wind Cannot Read'' is a 1958 British drama film directed by Ralph Thomas and starring Dirk Bogarde, Yoko Tani, Ronald Lewis and John Fraser. It was based on the 1946 novel by Richard Mason, who also wrote the screenplay. Ralph Thom ...
'' (1958), ''
Nor the Moon by Night ''Nor the Moon by Night'' is a 1958 British drama film directed by Ken Annakin and starring Belinda Lee, Michael Craig and Patrick McGoohan. It was written by Guy Elmes based on the 1957 novel of the same ttitle by Joy Packer and partly fil ...
'' (1958) and ''
Ferry to Hong Kong ''Ferry to Hong Kong'' is a 1959 British melodrama/adventure film directed by Lewis Gilbert and starring Curt Jürgens, Sylvia Syms, Orson Welles and Jeremy Spenser. Lewis Gilbert later described ''Ferry to Hong Kong'' as "my nightmare film". O ...
'' (1959). Box said Eric Ambler had a very different approach to writing to Hammond Innes. "Innes was a writer who spent as much time researching his books as he did writing them", she wrote. "Eric's books depend much more on characterisation, motivation and ideologies rather than realistic documentation. I remember him telling me that he hadn't even visited most of the countries he wrote about, and I sensed that he wasn't entirely happy working on ''Campbell's Kingdom''." Another writer, Robin Estridge, was hired to work on the script.
Ray Milland Ray Milland (born Alfred Reginald Jones; 3 January 1907 – 10 March 1986) was a Welsh-American actor and film director. He is often remembered for his portrayal of an alcoholic writer in Billy Wilder's ''The Lost Weekend'' (1945), which wo ...
had tried to buy the rights to the novel. He offered to play the role of Campbell for no cash payment and a percentage of the profits, but Rank cast Bogarde. Michael Craig, who had a support role, felt Bogarde was "an unlikely choice since he was small and slender and not overly athletic" but "I think he wanted to change his image into something more robust, but the sight of him threatening to knock the block off some burly oil driller in a Canadian bar was more ludicrous that robust.".


Shooting

Although the story is set in
Alberta Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...
, it was too expensive to film there. Box wrote, "In those days dollars were very scarce, the Treasury didn't want to know and by shooting in Europe we would save a considerable amount of money that would have been spent in transporting people and equipment across the Atlantic and on to the foothills of the Rockies." The landscape exteriors were shot in the Italian
Dolomites The Dolomites ( ), also known as the Dolomite Mountains, Dolomite Alps or Dolomitic Alps, are a mountain range in northeastern Italy. They form part of the Southern Limestone Alps and extend from the River Adige in the west to the Piave Va ...
(
Lago di Pontesei Lago di Pontesei is a lake in the Province of Belluno, Veneto, Italy. The dam originally formed a much larger area, which reached the confluence with the Maresón torrent in the Pónt of Péez. Pontesei Landslide Preceded by numerous warnin ...
and Cortina d'Ampezzo locality Fiames) and the rest was shot 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 t ...
outside London.''British Cinema of the 1950s: The Decline of Deference''
by Sue Harper, Vincent Porter Oxford University Press, 2003 p 53
Filming took place in May 1957. "This is a big outdoor subject, although at the same time I hope it will be more subtle than that,” said Thomas during the shoot. “I think Dirk’s character will give the story subtlety. Most heroes do things so courageous and unlikely that they are often only just acceptable. But Dirk’s Bruce Campbell is a man with death just around the corner and what he does is done in that knowledge.” Betty Box says three of the cast brought their wives on location to Italy – Michael Craig, Stanley Baker and Sid James – and all three were pregnant.


Reception


Box office

Box later wrote that the film "was released during one of Britain's worst flu epidemics – Asian flu – which didn't help at the box office" but that "overseas the movie was successful. We even sold it to the Russians. It took me an hour or two to work that one out... The dam bursts because the wicked capitalists in Canada use cheap cement!" The film was listed in ''Screen'' magazine as one of the most popular at the British box office in 1957. However it is generally considered to have been a box office disappointment and did not make the ''Kinematograph Weekly'' list of most popular films of 1957.


Critical

''Variety'' called it "virtually a British western. It is a straightforward, virile, actionpacked yarn with ample excitement and mounting drama. A popular cast, headed by Dirk Bogarde, will make it a safe bet. Bogarde’s star value in U. S, may, however, be insufficient to earn this satisfying pic the support it merits." ''The Daily Telegraph'' called it "exciting popular entertainment."


Awards

Dirk Bogarde won the ''Picturegoer'' Award for Best Actor for the film. The film was released in the US in 1960.


Contemporary reputation

Richard Gregson, film producer, agent and brother of actor Michael Craig, later gave ''Campbell's Kingdom'' as an example of the output of Rank under Sir John Davis in the late 50s:
Those awful middle class pictures that had no meaning for anyone, because somehow he couldn't come to terms with the fact that the vast majority of people in this country were lower middle class and working class people. So all those boring tales like ''Campbell's Kingdom'' had nothing to do with real life. If you are clever enough as Korda and Balcon were, you can get away with it, but Davis wasn't. It was very square entertainment.
BFI Screenonline said ''Campbell's Kingdom'', along with later Bogarde-Box-Thomas adventure films such as ''
The Wind Cannot Read ''The Wind Cannot Read'' is a 1958 British drama film directed by Ralph Thomas and starring Dirk Bogarde, Yoko Tani, Ronald Lewis and John Fraser. It was based on the 1946 novel by Richard Mason, who also wrote the screenplay. Ralph Thom ...
'' and ''
The High Bright Sun ''The High Bright Sun'' is a 1964 British action film directed by Ralph Thomas and starring Dirk Bogarde, George Chakiris and Susan Strasberg. It is set in Cyprus during the EOKA uprising against British rule in the 1950s. It was based on a 196 ...
'' (1964) "could have benefited from a more conventionally rugged leading man" than Bogarde.Ralph Thomas
at
BFI Screenonline Screenonline is a website about the history of British film, television and social history as documented by film and television. The project has been developed by the British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and tele ...
''Filmink'' called it "a so-so adventure tale – the team of Betty Box and Ralph Thomas deserved the right to make something different, as did Dirk Bogarde, but all were kind of miscast in this genre."


Notes

*Box, Betty, ''Lifting the Lid'', The Book Guild, 2000


References


External links


''Campbell's Kingdom''
at
TCMDB Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is an American movie-oriented pay-TV network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in 1994, Turner Classic Movies is headquartered at Turner's Techwood broadcasting campus in the Midtown business district of ...

''Campbell's Kingdom''
at the
British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves filmmaking and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...
* * *Serialisation of novel �
Part 1Part 3Part 4Part 5Part 6Part 7Part 8Part 9Part 10Part 11Part 12Part 14Part 15Part 16Part 17Part 18Part 19 and final
{{Ralph Thomas 1957 films 1957 adventure films Films based on British novels Films based on works by Hammond Innes Films directed by Ralph Thomas Films scored by Clifton Parker Films set in Alberta British adventure films Films shot at Pinewood Studios Films about petroleum British disaster films 1950s English-language films 1950s British films English-language adventure films