That's probably one of the few good Sam Katzman productions I have ever seen. There are not a lot of them; the most known is EARTH VS FLYING SAUCERS. This 1960 movie directed by the prolific George Sherman is a fairly good war actioner, which takes place in France, during WW2, in the Alpes, where a group a french underground fighters, helped by an American member of the OSS, capture a German general who wants to give some information to the allies in London. Hot stuff.
But is the general really a traitor?
I did not expect so much from this Columbia production. No so cheap, after all. Van Johnson and Jean Pierre Aumont give here good performances; And let's not forget some other french second rate characters, such as Jacques Marin, who always plays " the good french" in American movies. See John Frankenheimer's THE TRAIN, for instance.
That proves that Sam Katzman can make good movies when he wants to.
About George Sherman, as Joseph Kane, he began his carrier in the late 30's, directing B westerns for Republic Pictures, and not only westerns, before going to Columbia Pictures, and continuing in Universal Studios, where he made here his most interesting films, especially westerns, such as WAR ARROW, DAWN AT SOCORRO, CHIEF CRAZY HORSE, BATTLE AT APACHE PASS and many other good features, that I have in my library. All of them made for Universal.
But after his Universal engagement, he seems to have lost himself, in some corny stuff, except perhaps TREASURE OF PANCHO VILLA, made for RKO pictures; a very good western, starring Rory Calhoun and Gilbert Roland.
George Sherman's last stand will be the superb BIG JAKE, Maureen O' Hara's nearly last picture too, and his bad guys gallery in the opening sequence, where they are presented one by one. But that's another story and another comment.
Getting back to ENEMY GENERAL, take it if you can. Don't be afraid by Sam Katzman's name in the credits. Don't turn the TV set off!!
But is the general really a traitor?
I did not expect so much from this Columbia production. No so cheap, after all. Van Johnson and Jean Pierre Aumont give here good performances; And let's not forget some other french second rate characters, such as Jacques Marin, who always plays " the good french" in American movies. See John Frankenheimer's THE TRAIN, for instance.
That proves that Sam Katzman can make good movies when he wants to.
About George Sherman, as Joseph Kane, he began his carrier in the late 30's, directing B westerns for Republic Pictures, and not only westerns, before going to Columbia Pictures, and continuing in Universal Studios, where he made here his most interesting films, especially westerns, such as WAR ARROW, DAWN AT SOCORRO, CHIEF CRAZY HORSE, BATTLE AT APACHE PASS and many other good features, that I have in my library. All of them made for Universal.
But after his Universal engagement, he seems to have lost himself, in some corny stuff, except perhaps TREASURE OF PANCHO VILLA, made for RKO pictures; a very good western, starring Rory Calhoun and Gilbert Roland.
George Sherman's last stand will be the superb BIG JAKE, Maureen O' Hara's nearly last picture too, and his bad guys gallery in the opening sequence, where they are presented one by one. But that's another story and another comment.
Getting back to ENEMY GENERAL, take it if you can. Don't be afraid by Sam Katzman's name in the credits. Don't turn the TV set off!!