For a time between the 1950s and 1970s, the golden age of British thrillers, according to writer Mike Ripley, there were few names bigger than Alistair MacLean. In 1962, originally under the name Ian Stuart and then under his own, MacLean had another success with the novel The Satan Bug. So it was perhaps unsurprising that, on the back of the success of the cinematic adaptation of The Guns of Navarone, that Satan Bug received the Hollywood treatment. Not only that, but with one of the premier action directors of the era at the helm: John Sturges.
Sturges, along with scriptwriters James Clavell and Edward Anhalt, crafted an intriguing thriller out of MacLean's novel. Satan Bug tells the story of government agents, including George Maharis's Lee Barrett, racing to stop the use of a bio-weapon (the titular Satan Bug) after its theft from a secret government lab. In going through the mechanics of the lab, and the efforts of Barrett and agents of a government agency known as SDI to keep its product from being used by a madman, Satan Bug is an early techno-thriller, coming nearly two decades before the term came into use. That said, in keeping with much of MacLean's work, such as the aforementioned Navarone and Where Eagles Dare (released three years later), the plot is convoluted with a tale of crosses, double-crosses, and hidden identities. To the point that there are places where it becomes just a tad ludicrous, especially when the eventual villain has their reveal. For the most part, the film remains engaging and, especially in its closing minutes, suspenseful.
It's also quite well made for the mid-1960s. Fans of mid-century design, architecture, and fashion will have a field day with the film from its depictions of everything from secret labs to homes and locations across California. Some of the background plate work hasn't dated well, which is sadly true of many films made before and after this time, though the film can boast some impressive aerial photography in its climax. The proverbial icing on the cake is the score, a still early one from the late, great Jerry Goldsmith, who shows even at this stage of his career how to build action in suspense to elevate what's happening on screen.
Where the film is perhaps most mixed is in its casting. George Maharis is just a little too bland for the role of agent Barrett, being not so much a character as someone going through the motions as scripted. More successful is Richard Basehart, then best known for his role on TV's Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, as a scientist involved with the secret project and Dana Andrews as General Williams who is leading the effort to get the stolen bio-weapons back. Anne Francis does well as the film's sole female character, there more as a love interest that isn't necessary than a proper heroine though her presence is certainly a welcome addition to the film. There's an early film role for Ed Asner as one of the villain's henchmen and even a non-speaking supporting appearance by James Doohan who would fame shortly after the film's release as Scotty on Star Trek. Except for Maharis, the cast is dependable and works well, though it's not easy to point to any standout performances in the film. Indeed, the best way to describe the cast is serviceable if unremarkable.
All told, The Satan Bug is an intriguing, overlooked, but by no means classic thriller. It does have its definite pluses, including Sturges' direction and benefits from a solid score from Jerry Goldsmith. It also stands, alongside films such as the 1950 British thriller Seven Days to Noon, as among the first examples of the cinematic techno-thriller. And with conspiracy theories about killer viruses cooked up in labs being in our current culture, even our political discourse, it's also as timely as ever.
Sturges, along with scriptwriters James Clavell and Edward Anhalt, crafted an intriguing thriller out of MacLean's novel. Satan Bug tells the story of government agents, including George Maharis's Lee Barrett, racing to stop the use of a bio-weapon (the titular Satan Bug) after its theft from a secret government lab. In going through the mechanics of the lab, and the efforts of Barrett and agents of a government agency known as SDI to keep its product from being used by a madman, Satan Bug is an early techno-thriller, coming nearly two decades before the term came into use. That said, in keeping with much of MacLean's work, such as the aforementioned Navarone and Where Eagles Dare (released three years later), the plot is convoluted with a tale of crosses, double-crosses, and hidden identities. To the point that there are places where it becomes just a tad ludicrous, especially when the eventual villain has their reveal. For the most part, the film remains engaging and, especially in its closing minutes, suspenseful.
It's also quite well made for the mid-1960s. Fans of mid-century design, architecture, and fashion will have a field day with the film from its depictions of everything from secret labs to homes and locations across California. Some of the background plate work hasn't dated well, which is sadly true of many films made before and after this time, though the film can boast some impressive aerial photography in its climax. The proverbial icing on the cake is the score, a still early one from the late, great Jerry Goldsmith, who shows even at this stage of his career how to build action in suspense to elevate what's happening on screen.
Where the film is perhaps most mixed is in its casting. George Maharis is just a little too bland for the role of agent Barrett, being not so much a character as someone going through the motions as scripted. More successful is Richard Basehart, then best known for his role on TV's Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, as a scientist involved with the secret project and Dana Andrews as General Williams who is leading the effort to get the stolen bio-weapons back. Anne Francis does well as the film's sole female character, there more as a love interest that isn't necessary than a proper heroine though her presence is certainly a welcome addition to the film. There's an early film role for Ed Asner as one of the villain's henchmen and even a non-speaking supporting appearance by James Doohan who would fame shortly after the film's release as Scotty on Star Trek. Except for Maharis, the cast is dependable and works well, though it's not easy to point to any standout performances in the film. Indeed, the best way to describe the cast is serviceable if unremarkable.
All told, The Satan Bug is an intriguing, overlooked, but by no means classic thriller. It does have its definite pluses, including Sturges' direction and benefits from a solid score from Jerry Goldsmith. It also stands, alongside films such as the 1950 British thriller Seven Days to Noon, as among the first examples of the cinematic techno-thriller. And with conspiracy theories about killer viruses cooked up in labs being in our current culture, even our political discourse, it's also as timely as ever.