The Angry Hills (1959)

In 1941 Greece, an American war correspondent (Robert Mitchum) is tricked into carrying a list of Allied spies to British Intelligence in London. But first, he has to get out of Greece alive as a German Gestapo chief (Stanley Baker, excellent) pursues him across the country while leaving a bloody trail. Based on the novel by Leon Uris (EXODUS) and directed by Robert Aldrich (WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE). One of the pleasures of movie watching is coming across a movie you know nothing about and has no reputation so it has no baggage and you have no expectations and find something very good. Aldrich himself was unhappy with the film and disowned it claiming interference from the producer and perhaps he's right, it could have been better. But I'm happy with what we got. The film has some layers you usually don't find in WWII films like this. Handsomely shot on location in Greece in B&W CinemaScope by Stephen Dade (ZULU) and with an early score by Richard Rodney Bennett. With the appealing Elisabeth Mueller, Gia Scala, Kieron Moore, Theodore Bikel, Sebastian Cabot, Donald Wolfit, Marius Goring and Jocelyn Lane.