Photographed in black-and-white Hammerscope (advertised as "CinemaScope" in the U.S.A.). Producer: Michael Carreras. A Hammer Production, released through United Artists. Copyright 1957 by United Artists Corp. No New York opening. U.S. release: March 1958. U.K. release: 3 June 1957. No record of Australian theatrical release (probably 1958). 7,652 feet. 85 minutes.
SYNOPSIS: "C" company under Major Gerrard (Leo Genn) are the remnants of a battle-weary battalion in the North African campaign in WW2. They are ordered to occupy a deserted farm-house and use its tall wind tower as an observation post in preparation for a full- scale allied counter-attack against the Afrika Corps.
NOTES: Locations included the British Army's tank training grounds at Aldershot, England.
COMMENT: Over-cluttered with dialogue. But if the film was trimmed (a lot of Leo Genn's dialogue could go — his heart was obviously not really in the role anyway — he enunciates his lines beautifully but with an almost total absence of conviction), there would be sufficient action left to satisfy the fans, although the all-male cast and the absence of any interesting players will limit the film to the lower half of double bills.
The characters are one-dimensional anyway, and the plot is the usual hoke. The direction is mostly stolid, but it has a few imaginatively atmospheric touches and the use of exterior locations is quite effective.
OTHER VIEWS: During the French liberation, actor-barrister Leo Genn, received the Croix de Guerre for bravery whilst serving in the Royal Artillery during World War II. In "Steel Bayonet", he stars as a brave infantry commander assigned the vital task of taking a derelict Tunisian farm building, for use as a British observation post, and holding the position against overwhelming odds.
At the end of hostilities, Genn was posted to S.H.A.E.F. Special Enquiries Branch tackling War Crimes Investigations — working on Belsen among other assignments, he held an important brief during the subsequent trials, thus returning to his pre-war legal profession for a short time.
Genn returned to the screen to star in "Green For Danger". A Broadway stage version of "Another Part of the Forest" and a co- starring screen role in "Mourning Becomes Electra" followed. "Snake Pit" and "The Velvet Touch" came next in Hollywood before he returned to England to appear in the stage version of "The Seventh Veil" with Ann Todd. Several films followed that and included a second trip to Hollywood in 1952.
Constantly acting on both sides of the Atlantic made Genn in demand and popular with both Americans and his native countrymen. Though many of his roles have been military, he played Buckingham in an Old Vic production of "Henry VIII". On the screen, he appeared in "The Miniver Story", "Quo Vadis", "The Magic Box", "Moby Dick" and "Lady Chatterley's Lover". .
Co-starring with Kieron Moore in "Steel Bayonet", Leo Genn plays his fourth military role. — Hammer Publicity.
An earnest, but inept attempt. — Variety.
SYNOPSIS: "C" company under Major Gerrard (Leo Genn) are the remnants of a battle-weary battalion in the North African campaign in WW2. They are ordered to occupy a deserted farm-house and use its tall wind tower as an observation post in preparation for a full- scale allied counter-attack against the Afrika Corps.
NOTES: Locations included the British Army's tank training grounds at Aldershot, England.
COMMENT: Over-cluttered with dialogue. But if the film was trimmed (a lot of Leo Genn's dialogue could go — his heart was obviously not really in the role anyway — he enunciates his lines beautifully but with an almost total absence of conviction), there would be sufficient action left to satisfy the fans, although the all-male cast and the absence of any interesting players will limit the film to the lower half of double bills.
The characters are one-dimensional anyway, and the plot is the usual hoke. The direction is mostly stolid, but it has a few imaginatively atmospheric touches and the use of exterior locations is quite effective.
OTHER VIEWS: During the French liberation, actor-barrister Leo Genn, received the Croix de Guerre for bravery whilst serving in the Royal Artillery during World War II. In "Steel Bayonet", he stars as a brave infantry commander assigned the vital task of taking a derelict Tunisian farm building, for use as a British observation post, and holding the position against overwhelming odds.
At the end of hostilities, Genn was posted to S.H.A.E.F. Special Enquiries Branch tackling War Crimes Investigations — working on Belsen among other assignments, he held an important brief during the subsequent trials, thus returning to his pre-war legal profession for a short time.
Genn returned to the screen to star in "Green For Danger". A Broadway stage version of "Another Part of the Forest" and a co- starring screen role in "Mourning Becomes Electra" followed. "Snake Pit" and "The Velvet Touch" came next in Hollywood before he returned to England to appear in the stage version of "The Seventh Veil" with Ann Todd. Several films followed that and included a second trip to Hollywood in 1952.
Constantly acting on both sides of the Atlantic made Genn in demand and popular with both Americans and his native countrymen. Though many of his roles have been military, he played Buckingham in an Old Vic production of "Henry VIII". On the screen, he appeared in "The Miniver Story", "Quo Vadis", "The Magic Box", "Moby Dick" and "Lady Chatterley's Lover". .
Co-starring with Kieron Moore in "Steel Bayonet", Leo Genn plays his fourth military role. — Hammer Publicity.
An earnest, but inept attempt. — Variety.