writers_reign Without reading the source novel it's difficult to know whether it did have a definite genre in mind, farce, drama, both or neither because what appears on screen are several loose plots any one of which in hands other than inept would make for a satisfying/entertaining diversion; instead each strand is pursued until it runs out of gas whereupon another strand is added. Herbert Lom, who had proved himself a reliable supporting actor was clearly auditioning for leading man status but just as clearly lacked the charisma and despite winding up with Mai Zetterling there is zero chemistry between them. Richard Attenborough is there simply to make up the numbers and act as the catalyst for the 'happy' ending. Not the finest hour of anyone involved.

unbrokenmetal In 1945, successful writer Dominic Danges (Herbert Lom) returns home after the war, just to find a book called 'Hell is Sold Out' on the shelves - but he did not write this novel. In his house, he meets Valerie Martyn (Mai Zetterling) who has moved in. Since he was believed dead, she wrote the novel 'for him' and posed as his wife. He calls her a cheat and wants her to leave immediately, but unfortunately, 'Hell is Sold Out' becomes Danges' most successful novel, so the publisher wants the unmarried couple to stay together and continue the masquerade. When Valerie falls in love with Dominic's best friend Pierre (Richard Attenborough), this becomes complicated...There are two possibilities to turn such a story into a movie. Either you make it a comedy, putting the characters into hilarious situations. Or you create a drama, focusing on jealousy and intrigue. This movie, however, could apparently not decide which way to go for. Thus it became too slow for a comedy, but did not set up convincing dramatic conflicts either.

JohnHowardReid This movie has a great cast, but I found it a very disappointing experience, especially as I'm a great fan of the stars, Mai Zetterling, Richard Attenborough and Herbert Lom. Many of the support players ring bells with me too, especially Joan Hickson, Hermione Baddeley, Eric Pohlmann, Kathleen Byron, Zena Marshall and Ronald Adam. One wonders how on earth, people of this caliber came to be involved with such a dull and thoroughly disappointing movie. First of all, "hell", either sold out or still open for business, has nothing to do with the wishy-washy plot at all. It's a comedy - yes, a comedy - about a supposedly deceased novelist who wrote a book of that title. Yes, it turns out that reports of the demise were greatly exaggerated. Well, even this idea has promise, but that promise is utterly vitiated by the screenwriter's dull, plodding dialogue and Michael Anderson's unimaginative direction. Even Jack Asher's photography is way, way below his usual high standard. The only good thing about the movie is the agreeable music score contributed by Hans May.

jdw50 One of those films that dealt - perhaps neither deliberately nor directly - with sorting out the muddle of war, and so a very distant relation of The Return of Martin Guerre as much as The Captive Heart. It was Lom's attempt at playing a romantic hero, and it didn't come off; he's too saturnine and grumpy. But artistically this has an upside, as it leaves us unsure whether the heroine will go for him or the more puppy-like, and more British, Attenborough. Alas, it all needs the Lubitsch touch, or at least the Michael Powell one; instead, it's wobbly in tone, shuffling between romance, comedy, farce and the odd echo of the war (Attenborough has blackouts caused by shrapnel in his head), along with some lame satire of Americans. It isn't bad - and it looks great, with high-contrast mono photography - but it isn't very good either.