Ice Cold in Alex (1958)

Directed by

J. Lee Thompson

Genre

war film

Country

United Kingdom

Runtime

2h 10m

Rated

PG

Rating

7.3 of 10 from 102 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

A small field ambulance unit tries to drive across the North African desert to reach Allied lines in Alexandria during World War II. The characters are worn down by the heat and the enemy, and they keep going by dreaming of a cold beer when they reach the city.

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What happens

Ice Cold in Alex is a 1958 British war film directed by J. Lee Thompson and starring John Mills, Sylvia Syms, Anthony Quayle and Harry Andrews. It is based on the 1957 novel by Christopher Landon, who also co-wrote the screenplay. Set during the Western Desert campaign of World War II, the film is follows a small Field Ambulance unit that must cross treacherous territory to reach friendly lines in Alexandria. The title refers to the characters' desire to drink an "ice cold lager in 'Alex'" (Alexandria). The film was released in the UK by Associated British-Pathé on 24 June 1958. It was a critical and commercial success, becoming one of the highest-grossing films at the British box office for that year. It was nominated in four categories at the 12th British Academy Film Awards, including Best Film and Best British Actor (for Quayle). At the 8th Berlin International Film Festival, Ice Cold in Alex was nominated for Golden Bear and won the FIPRESCI Award. Under the title Desert Attack, a shortened 79-minute version of the film was released in the United States in 1961. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

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