Who dares wins

Rating: 7/10 (12 October 2012)

Boy's own adventure as Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood infiltrate an apparently impervious fortress where an American General is being held captive. But the mission is not as it seems, with secret orders to seek out and eliminate a covert spy who is trading secrets to the enemy during WWII.
Good to see the pairing of heavyweights Burton and Eastwood, the former arguably occupying the driver's seat with the still up-and-coming Eastwood showing glimpses of the mega-star he was to soon become. Mary Ure has a rare leading role and the supporting cast including Patrick Wymark as the imprisoned General, Robert Beatty, Ferdy Mayne, Donald Houston and Anton Diffring make for a memorable motion picture with great sets and snow-capped landscapes. Don't miss Ingrid Pitt in another brief but important supporting role.
Though the plot twists are real humdingers, to me the most remarkable aspect of this film is the story of its director, Brian G.Hutton. A man who had "The Wild Seed", "Where Eagles Dare" and "Kelly's Heroes" under his belt before the age of forty, drifted into obscurity in the mid-seventies and apart from "High Road to China" in the mid-eighties, never seemed to fulfil the promise of a long and truly great career. No problems if he opted out for some reason, just a shame his legacy wasn't greater such was the quality of the few films he directed.