Hell Boats ** (1970, James Franciscus, Elizabeth Shepherd, Ronald Allen) – Classic Movie Review  13,513

The 1970 British Technicolor war film Hell Boats is a tale of love and war and motor torpedo boats in World War Two starring James Franciscus, Elizabeth Shepherd, and Ronald Allen.

Director Paul Wendkos’s 1970 British Technicolor war film Hell Boats is based on a novel by S S Schweitzer, and stars James Franciscus, Elizabeth Shepherd, and Ronald Allen. A second-rank cast fails to spark a pretty weary World War Two tale of love and war and British motor torpedo boats in the Mediterranean.

American lieutenant commander Jeffords (James Franciscus) is seconded to the Royal Navy in wartime Malta. While hatching a plan to wipe out a Nazi stronghold on Sicily, he still has time to have a fling with English rose Alison (Elizabeth Shepherd), who is married to his boss, British commanding officer Commander Ashurst (Ronald Allen).

This routine but watchable B-movie is professionally crafted and robust enough when it sticks to basic action, but it is soppy and unconvincing when it involves Franciscus in his love triangle romance with Shepherd. The acting is none too exciting, but the action is okay, though even that is spoiled by poor trick work. Philip Ma.

It turned out to be the last film made by Oakmont Productions, owned by brothers Walter Mirisch, Marvin Mirisch and Harold Mirisch.

The technical advisor is Lieutenant Commander Ian Nagle Douglas Cox, awarded the Distinguished Service Order while serving on the destroyer HMS Malcolm in 1940.

The cast are James Franciscus, Elizabeth Shepherd, Ronald Allen, Inigo Jackson, Mark Hawkins, Philip Madoc, Drewe Henley, Reuven Bar-Yotam, Magda Konopka, Inigo Jackson, Takis Emmanuel, John G Heller, David Savile, Sean Barrett, Bernard Davies, Moultrie Kelsall, Peter Burton, and Andreas Maladrinos.

It was released on 20 March 1970.

Hell Boats is directed by Paul Wendkos, runs 95 minutes, is made by Oakmont Productions, is released by United Artists, is written by Anthony Spinner, Donald Ford and Derek Ford, is shot by Paul Beeson, is produced by Lewis J Rachmil, is scored by Frank Cordell, and is designed by Anthony Pratt.

James Franciscus (January 31, 1934 – July 8, 1991).

James Franciscus dated his apprentice Jane Fonda while working as a stage manager in 1956. Fonda says Franciscus is the boy she lost her virginity to.

© Derek Winnert 2025 – Classic Movie Review  13,513

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