Floods of Fear (1958) User Reviews

The Waterworld Redemption.

[hitchcockthelegend · 7/10 · 10 November 2013]

Floods of Fear is directed by Charles Crichton who also co-adapts the screenplay with Vivienne Knight from the novel written by John and Ward Hawkins. It stars Howard Keel, Anne Heywood, Cyril Cusack, Harry H. Corbett, John Crawford and Eddie Byrne. Music is by Alan Rawsthorne and cinematography by Christopher Challis.

Two convicts and one guard are washed away into a flood after the barrier they were building collapses. Ending up at the flooded farmhouse of Dr. Matthews (John Phillips), the men find that the doctor is not at home but his daughter Elizabeth (Heywood) is. Soon enough tensions rise to boiling point, especially since one of the cons, Donovan (Keel), appears to be innocent of the murder he is locked up for, and he has revenge on his mind...

Something of a legend for his directing work for Ealing Studios, Charles Crichton does a fine job blending a suspenseful action thriller with film noir thematics. Though primarily known for comedies (his last film would be A Fish Called Wanda), Crichton had already shown he had a considerable eye for noir with the brilliant and under seen Dirk Bogarde starrer Hunted (1952), only difference here is that the setting is predominantly set on or near water, and it really works for dramatic purpose.

The flood recreation scenes are excellent, be it our protagonists/antagonists flailing about in the water trying to keep alive, or the destruction sequences as houses and various other parts of the watery landscape falling by the wayside, there is high peril crafted out there on those waters. With Challis' (Footsteps in the Fog and latterly Arabesque) beautiful black and white photography making a mark, and Rawsthorne's (Uncle Silas/Pandora and the Flying Dutchman) musical score suitably stirring, the tech credits are high grade for such a Brit production.

It's the character dynamics that really seal the deal to make this a film well worth seeking out. Keel is full on brooding machismo, who seems to have the world on his shoulders, but he always convinces as a man to turn to in a crisis. Cusack is a nutter, no beating around the bush, he would stab you as soon as look at you, and he has very unhealthy designs on Elizabeth. Which brings us to Heywood, who as the sole female of the piece gives a real stoic performance, she's constantly pulled from pillar to post, drowned like a rat, and she has to balance fear, bravado and romance, which she does admirably. While Corbett, who would find fame in the hugely popular TV comedy show Steptoe & Son, provides the requisite officialdom axis in the play.

All good really. 7.5/10

Keel is pretty good here

[gordonl56 · 8/10 · 29 September 2013]

FLOODS OF FEAR – 1958

This is a UK production set in the American Northeast during a rather nasty flood. A group of convicts are put to work reinforcing a levee with sandbags. The levee however gives way and everyone is sweep into the rushing waters. Two convicts, Howard Keel, Cyril Cusack and an injured guard, Harry Corbett all make it to safety. They are joined by local, Anne Heywood. The four take shelter from the rising waters on the top floor of Heywood's home.

Keel immediately starts building a raft. He has no intention of returning to prison. He has murder on his mind. Keel got a life sentence for murdering his business partner, John Crawford's wife. The two had been having an affair and when she had turned up dead, all the evidence pointed at Keel. Crawford and Keel had been partners in a river tug outfit located just down the river.

Corbett does his best to protect the girl Heywood, from the unwanted attentions of the oily Cusack. Cusack arms himself with a large blade and hints that Corbett will get his soon. Keel finally gets his raft done only to have Corbett swipe the thing in order to get away from Cusack.

The rising waters soon push the rest of the house off its footings and into the river. Keel, Cusack and Heywood manage to survive by holding onto a piece of the roof that breaks off and serves as a raft. As luck would have it, they find a small boat and transfer to it. Keel soon grows tired of the rat, Cusack, and his constant attempts at Heywood. He fires the rodent off the boat at the first bit of land they come to, before continuing towards his "date" with Crawford.

Heywood realizes that Keel is not the vicious murderer she had thought him to be. Keel simply wants the truth to come out about the crime he was sent up for. Keel lands Heywood at a safe spot and carries on. Guard Corbett has made it to safety and contacts the local law, Eddie Byrne. He tells Byrne that Keel intends to murder Crawford if he can reach him. Byrne hands Corbett a revolver and assigns him a couple of National Guardsmen to escort him to Crawford's place.

Now we find out that Cusack has knifed a would be rescuer, and stolen his small motorboat. Cusack plans on reaching Crawford before Keel. Cusack intends a bit of blackmail. He believes Crawford to be the real murderer as well. Cusack is sure Crawford will pay for the warning about Keel, as well as for Cusack to keep his silence about the murder. Heywood has also reached the local law. A quick word with Byrne has the Sheriff send Heywood and a couple deputies racing to Crawford's in case Corbett might need help.

Guard Corbett and the two National Guardsmen have by this time reached Crawford's tug boat pier. Corbett warns Crawford about Keel's break out, and his planned attempt on Crawford's life. Soon Cusack comes puttering out of the rain in his little motorboat. Everyone mistakes him for Keel, and Cusack collects several bullets before being collared. Heywood arrives with the extra men, everyone now just sits and waits for Keel to put in an appearance.

Keel however is already there, and has been watching everything for the last 20 minutes. He sneaks under the dock and enters Crawford's office. He gets the drop on the man and proceeds to give Crawford a most vicious beating. He cannot however bring himself to kill Crawford. He turns himself in to Corbett. Corbett, who has been busy questioning Cusack, tells Keel that enough questions as to his guilt have been raised, that a new trial is likely.

There are some fairly intense moments in the film and Keel is surprisingly good in a non-musical role. What throws the viewer off to a degree, is the rather ineffective American accents used by the UK members of the cast. It would have worked better being set in the UK.

Having said that, the film as a whole, works quite well. There are several noir touches throughout, murder, revenge, infidelity being the foremost. And the raging waters do well at replacing the alleys and dark streets of an urban setting. Both are empty to the man on the run.

The look of the film also works with D of P Christopher Challis, supplying a nice assortment of black and grey tones. The four time BAFTA nominated Challis did some top fight work with, THE SMALL BACK ROOM, FOOTSTEPS IN THE FOG, CHANCE MEETING, NEVER LET GO, SINK THE BISMARCK, ARABESQUE, VILLAIN and EVIL UNDER THE SUN as examples of his work.

The director, Charles Crichton, is best known for the films, HUE AND CRY, THE LAVANDER HILL MOB and A FISH CALLED WANDA. He also touched on suspense with HUNTED and THE THIRD SECRET. (b/w)

Floods Of Fear - Offers Some Excitement

[krocheav · 8/10 · 10 March 2021]

The Rank Organisation appeared to be wooing and competing with American filmmakers with entries such as this. Excellent Set and Art direction (Cedric Dawe and Arthur Taksen) take center stage for developing convincing and dramatically detailed sets, while terrific director of photography Christopher Challis (S.O.S. Titanic '79) captures all the moody, noirish action for director Charles Crichton (The Divided Heart '54). Crichton also adapted the screenplay and saw fit to add a touch of sensationalism to some of the more brutal elements of the story to please the action crowd. A love interest section in the midst of the action tends to slow things down, and given the situation, is perhaps not always as convicting as it might have been.

Howard Keel was always able to supply a convincing dramatic performance and the English made good use of this. British beauty, Anne Heywood is also capable in her rather tough role, and together they work hard under considerably demanding conditions. The water scenes are well staged, adding high levels of tension while the rest of the cast supply good back up - it's an oddity that should keep the action fans occupied for the most part. Not sure why the DVD has been transferred in 4 x 3 when the feature was shot in 1.85.1 Widescreen - that would normally transfer as 16 x 9 full screen, but the image and sound quality are quite good otherwise.

Floods of Fear caused floods of praise!

[folsominc2 · 14 September 2011]

What a picture! Howard Keel taking on a major flood, several arch enemies and a girl to boot. Everything about this picture was simply amazing and fantastic. You felt the characters' desperation as they fought against each other and against the raging flood waters. Keel was in his element in a way that he never was before except maybe in his dual role in "Callaway Went Thataway." Granted, I have drooled over Keel in many of his musicals and still get a pleasant shiver down my spine when I hear him sing and belt out "Bless Your Beautiful Hide," but it were these dramatic roles that really set him apart. I only wish he made more of them. The final fight was one for the record books and Keel's athleticism throughout the entire film was tremendous. I recently saw "Floods of Fear" on TCM and can honestly say that for the first time in years, when the movie ended I nearly screamed. I wanted more Keel and more of the action. It was that kind of film. Good job, Keel and bless YOUR beautiful hide!

A fine British thriller

[Leofwine_draca · 7/10 · 30 January 2018]

FLOODS OF FEAR is a fine little British crime thriller with a strong storyline and a surprising emphasis on special effects footage to see it through. The disaster-based scenario reminded me a little of HARD RAIN and involves a couple of convicts escaping from their guard during severe flooding in the American northeast. Four disparate characters are holed up in a rapidly flooding farmhouse with conflict coming from inside and out. The mix of stock footage and sound effects with flooding sets and the like is very convincing and ahead of is time, while the setting and characters are generally authentic with only the odd British accent popping up. The cast is also very good indeed: Howard Keel couldn't get much taller or more rugged as the hero and Anne Heywood is incredibly sexy as the innocent woman caught up in the events. Plus we have an against-type Cyril Cusack as a sleazy prison escapee and an unrecognisable Harry H. Corbett as the guard. It's a solid little type of thriller with enough suspense to see it through from beginning to end.

Six years in the can and the first night out you get yourself a broad!

[sol-kay · 7/10 · 2 September 2011]

***SPOILERS*** Movie musical star Howard Keel as escaped convicted murderer Donovan doesn't sing a note and is bear chested during, with a few exceptions, the entire film. Donovan tries to make his way back to Westmills to get his hands on the person who framed him for his wife's murder construction boss Jack Murphy, John Crawford. Not only did Murphy frame Donovan in his-Murphy's-wife's murder but took control of his construction business from Donovan when he was sent up the river. With the Humboldt River now overflowing its banks Donovan plans his escape by going or swimming downstream to get to Murphy and make him pay for what he did to him.

But a number of problems arise for Donovan when he's forced to save Elizabeth Matthews. Anne Hayworth, fellow convict Peebles, Cryil Cusack, and injured prison guard Sharkey, Henry H. Corbett,on his way downstream to Westmills. This together with the flood waters hinders Donovan's plan to get Murphy and puts him on the spot in getting captured by the police and national guard units who are out looking for him. Taking shelter,together with Elizaberth Sharkey & Peebles, in Elizabeth's three story house Donovan knows that it's only a matter of time when the raging floodwater's engulf the place which makes his desperate situation even more desperate. And with both Peebles and Sharkey having it in for him for totally different reasons Donovan has to work real fast before he ends up dead by them or the by now over 30 feet high and deep floodwater's that covering the entire landscape.

What seems like a precursor to what's happening now with the threat of global warming and climate change "Floods of Fear" addresses these two major environmental issues of our time some 50 years before we became conscious of them. The floods are caused by the melting of the ice and snow because of the unusual high temperatures in the mountain regions that's now turning the valleys belows into lakes. Of course Dovonan & Co. has no idea of this, climate change, happening their just trying to survive the flood which by now has reached Noah and his Ark proportions.

It's pretty Elizabeth who soon realizes that Donovan isn't, in his gentlemanly manor and kindness to animals as well as her, the cold blooded killer that he's made out to be. Elizabeth does everything she can to get Donovan to give himself up and prove, even thought he was already convicted of murder, his innocence! That's before he ends up killing Murphy and proves her wrong!

***SPOILERS**** Very wet, with all the water in it, and interesting film about an innocent man who's out to prove that he was framed for a crime he didn't commit. Where at the same time he has to deal with nature at it's most destructive in him proving it. Donovan who when he finally tracks down Murphy decides to let the law take care of him but only after beating him, with Murphy getting a few good licks back in return, within an inch of his life. It in fact was Elizabeth who got Donovan to see the light and not blow Murphy away, with a gun pointed at his head, that turned things around for him. And changed them for the better.

Great film, with some minor faults

[g_fitzsimmons · 7/10 · 8 December 2012]

I have seen this film several times since its first airing on TV in the 1960s, and I ALWAYS watch it .... it's a very compelling feature, firstly because we see Howard Keel (a popular American singer/actor in many famous Hollywood light musicals of the 1950s) and Harry H Corbett (the British co-star of BBC-TV's long-running 1960s comedy "Steptoe & Son") in non-typical roles.

Secondly, the problem of being trapped in a flood, or even any natural disaster, makes for a viable dramatic background in a story of revenge and suspense. Filmed in Britain, but set in Canada, the movie points out how Nature can upset, without warning, the various plans of humans. In this particular case, it is the aim of Howard Keel to track down John Crawford, playing the man who framed Keel for the murder of his (Keel's) wife, and then took over Keel's business! Without repeating what others have said here, yes, there are some moments of outrageous melodrama typical of the cinema scene of the late 1950s, mixed in with some very exciting moments. Keel's ambition to mete out the well-deserved ultimate punishment (in Keel's mind) on Crawford is eventually mitigated by the love of the new woman in his life. All very convenient, and acceptable "for dramatic purposes".

What I found unconvincing was the fight scene at the end, where Keel and Crawford rained what seemed like hundreds of blows on each other's faces and bodies, while they struggled, rolling from shack to shack. Keel got the last few blows in on Crawford's face, which by now should have been mangled into pulp.

This potentially great drama ends with an almost comedic line, when some medically-unqualified labourer takes a quick glance at the bleeding, bruised and battered head of Crawford and announces to the awaiting crowd; "He's gonna be all right!" Of course, this movie's final scene fits in with the credo of those days that all films should have a "happy" ending. The fact that Keel set out with full premeditation to kill this man, but only ended up scarring him for life, does not deter the audience from accepting him as the hero of the film.

As I said, the action and adventure in this movie are compelling, but the morals are somewhat flawed.

I liked the movie

[jayjay95 · 9/10 · 20 September 2005]

I saw this movie only once - in 1959 when it came out. I was only about 9 years old at the time and it scared me. But at the same time I really liked it - to me it seemed to be an adventure film. Of course that was only the mind of a nine year old. I did not realize the real drama going on till now, as I think about it. The characters--of whom I remember Howard Keel most because I had seen him in a good many movies before this one. I expected to hear him sing--since most of his movies had been musicals. But he really was forceful and did a good job of making the most of his role. I thought he can act as well as sing! The film was tense- and full of suspense. To this day I am afraid of large bodies of water. All and all I found this a film I would like to see again. Unfortuanaley I have not been able to find it on video or on TV. I recommend it and hope to see it and also add it to my collection.

My brief review of the film

[sol- · 4/10 · 14 April 2006]

A rarely seen film from Charles Crichton, the director of popular British comedies such as 'The Lavender Hill Mob' and 'A Fish Called Wanda', Crichton manages to establish an appropriately solemn atmosphere for this film, but even so, it is only passable viewing overall. There are some fine bits of drama woven into the tale, however the film has a tendency to be unrealistically melodramatic, and the dull, heavy-handed narration is no help. The floods effects are great though, and together with apt music, the film has a fair few moments of great power. It is only intermittently intense though, and the plot is completely predictable, with a typical love interest and obvious plot twists. Fans of Crichton or the cast members might find something interesting here. It is pretty watchable - just not especially well made.

Above average British noir

[Howard_B_Eale · 25 September 2006]

FLOODS OF FEAR is a very interesting and tight little thriller, sort of a CANON CITY in the rain. Escaped convicts hole up in a literally falling-apart house to escape extreme floods with not unpredictable melodrama ensuing. But what keeps the film moving along, like the constant menacing waves always inches from the screen, is its interesting series of twists and turns once the initial setup passes. And the special effects are an often brilliant mix of miniatures, intense live action and stock footage; a palpable sense of menace and fear hangs over the entire film, quite relentlessly. From the very opening shot to the very last, the water is never calm and there's little humor or relief. So it actually fits nicely into the noir cycle and is quite entertaining, though it is hampered by most of the film's leads' inability to pull of the American accent.