Floods of Fear

1959 "A Beauty Marooned With MURDER!"
6.5| 1h24m| NR| en| More Info
Released: 05 July 1959 Released
Producted By: The Rank Organisation
Country: United Kingdom
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
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A man framed for murder escapes from prison during a flood and helps a young woman in distress.

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Director

Charles Crichton

Production Companies

The Rank Organisation

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Floods of Fear Audience Reviews

Fluentiama Perfect cast and a good story
MamaGravity good back-story, and good acting
Invaderbank The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.
Catangro After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.
Ged Fitzsimmons I have seen this film several times since its first airing on TV in the 1960s, and I ALWAYS watch it .... it's a very compelling feature, firstly because we see Howard Keel (a popular American singer/actor in many famous Hollywood light musicals of the 1950s) and Harry H Corbett (the British co-star of BBC-TV's long-running 1960s comedy "Steptoe & Son") in non-typical roles.Secondly, the problem of being trapped in a flood, or even any natural disaster, makes for a viable dramatic background in a story of revenge and suspense. Filmed in Britain, but set in Canada, the movie points out how Nature can upset, without warning, the various plans of humans. In this particular case, it is the aim of Howard Keel to track down John Crawford, playing the man who framed Keel for the murder of his (Keel's) wife, and then took over Keel's business! Without repeating what others have said here, yes, there are some moments of outrageous melodrama typical of the cinema scene of the late 1950s, mixed in with some very exciting moments. Keel's ambition to mete out the well-deserved ultimate punishment (in Keel's mind) on Crawford is eventually mitigated by the love of the new woman in his life. All very convenient, and acceptable "for dramatic purposes".What I found unconvincing was the fight scene at the end, where Keel and Crawford rained what seemed like hundreds of blows on each other's faces and bodies, while they struggled, rolling from shack to shack. Keel got the last few blows in on Crawford's face, which by now should have been mangled into pulp.This potentially great drama ends with an almost comedic line, when some medically-unqualified labourer takes a quick glance at the bleeding, bruised and battered head of Crawford and announces to the awaiting crowd; "He's gonna be all right!" Of course, this movie's final scene fits in with the credo of those days that all films should have a "happy" ending. The fact that Keel set out with full premeditation to kill this man, but only ended up scarring him for life, does not deter the audience from accepting him as the hero of the film.As I said, the action and adventure in this movie are compelling, but the morals are somewhat flawed.
Howard_B_Eale FLOODS OF FEAR is a very interesting and tight little thriller, sort of a CANON CITY in the rain. Escaped convicts hole up in a literally falling-apart house to escape extreme floods with not unpredictable melodrama ensuing. But what keeps the film moving along, like the constant menacing waves always inches from the screen, is its interesting series of twists and turns once the initial setup passes. And the special effects are an often brilliant mix of miniatures, intense live action and stock footage; a palpable sense of menace and fear hangs over the entire film, quite relentlessly. From the very opening shot to the very last, the water is never calm and there's little humor or relief. So it actually fits nicely into the noir cycle and is quite entertaining, though it is hampered by most of the film's leads' inability to pull of the American accent.
sol- A rarely seen film from Charles Crichton, the director of popular British comedies such as 'The Lavender Hill Mob' and 'A Fish Called Wanda', Crichton manages to establish an appropriately solemn atmosphere for this film, but even so, it is only passable viewing overall. There are some fine bits of drama woven into the tale, however the film has a tendency to be unrealistically melodramatic, and the dull, heavy-handed narration is no help. The floods effects are great though, and together with apt music, the film has a fair few moments of great power. It is only intermittently intense though, and the plot is completely predictable, with a typical love interest and obvious plot twists. Fans of Crichton or the cast members might find something interesting here. It is pretty watchable - just not especially well made.
jayjay95 I saw this movie only once - in 1959 when it came out. I was only about 9 years old at the time and it scared me. But at the same time I really liked it - to me it seemed to be an adventure film. Of course that was only the mind of a nine year old. I did not realize the real drama going on till now, as I think about it. The characters--of whom I remember Howard Keel most because I had seen him in a good many movies before this one. I expected to hear him sing--since most of his movies had been musicals. But he really was forceful and did a good job of making the most of his role. I thought he can act as well as sing! The film was tense- and full of suspense. To this day I am afraid of large bodies of water. All and all I found this a film I would like to see again. Unfortuanaley I have not been able to find it on video or on TV. I recommend it and hope to see it and also add it to my collection.