Station Six Sahara

source: Station Six Sahara

Station Six Sahara

On a remote Sahara oil pipeline station, contractors live and work together and soon have something to argue and fight over when a tease of a femme-fatale (Carroll Baker) ends up stranded there following a car crash. A very adult and sometimes gritty drama with plenty of melodrama, but is a bit of a dirge in places despite its sense of atmosphere. Written by Brian Clemens and Bryan Forbes.

Sexual and other tensions at a Sahara pumping station heat up when a female is added to the mix. A turgid little B&W potboiler of no meaning notable only as it ran as the 'B' feature in theaters in 1963 for the wonderful "Topkapi".

A rather strange film made by Artur Brauner,whom I briefly knew and who died aged 100 last year.As usual this is a combination of UK and continental stars.All ending up at this lonely pumping station.Everyone is covered in sweat except Baker.Ian Bannen chews the scenery with relish whilst Denholm Elliott underplays

My first viewing of ''Station Six Sahara'' was many years ago and have always rated it it quite highly ever since, as can be expected Carroll Baker looks quite stunning in this movie also great performances from all the cast, interesting male characters playing off against each other, especially the amusing interactions between Ian Bannen and Denholm Elliott. If you like deep character study ''Station Six Sahara'' is well worth multiple viewings.

STATION SIX-SAHARA is an intriguing little drama that shares a similar kind of tension to THE THING, albeit set at an oil station in the Sahara rather than in the icy wastes of Antarctica. Oh, and there's no alien presence either, just a sultry blonde in the form of American actress and future giallo stalwart Carroll Baker. Baker plays a visitor to said station who shakes things up with the already-frustrated menfolk there, and the fine cast includes Peter van Eyck, Denholm Elliott, Ian Bannen and Mario Adorf. It's a slow-burning character study for the most part, but the climax is quite unforgettable and the material certainly keeps you interested.

So tensions build at a lonely oil pump station in the middle of the Sahara where the men steal or buy dirty postcards and love letters while the more handsome among them fight over poker when a car wreck brings in Catherine Starr and her injured husband, Jimmy, who she's trying to split up with. Kramer and Martin become rivals for her love in some steamy scenes. Jimmy's revenge is a spectacle to behold. But really, what do 5 men have to work on living by an oil pump? Mostly any broads they can talk into meeting them there, I guess. Bryan Forbes directed one of his best early works and one less re-edited with a more coherent plot. Baker is at her dramatic best also. It's interesting that the ex-husband who crashes the car is named Jimmy and Catherine Starr is played by Baker, who made a lot of films in Europe during the sixties where her car crashes. James Dean, her co-star in Giant, died in a car crash, too. The trauma of losing him haunted many people long after his death.

I see 6 reviews here, let's not forget we're now in 2018! I can't imagine too many of younger generations bothering about such a film. But I am from that generation and in the 60's was a young man. It was just my lunch "course" served on a small TV screen with low sound quality. it was an ordinary day but as soon as the film started I found the story interesting and intriguing...Then the lady turned up and we had to believe things would change in this devilish remote desert station. Until then and we the arrival of a new worker there were five men all having very different characters, so living in close quarters you would expect some friction. Beside Peter Van...I did not know any of the other actors but I felt they all did a reasonable job. Yes a little over dramatic but we have to keep in mind the period. It pleasantly filled the duration of the feature.

A virtually forgotten potboiler directed by Seth Holt. A disparate group of men working an oil refinery in the Sahara get company in the form of foxy car crash victim Carroll Baker. Sexual tension ensues as Baker leads on at least two of the men, including group leader Peter van Eyck, who's desperate to get out of his miserable existence. Adding to the mix is Baker's possessive husband (Biff McGuire), who, though bedridden, refuses to let Baker go. Extremely well acted but perhaps a bit too melodramatic to really be taken seriously, there is nonetheless plenty to recommend...Baker is in peak form and Van Eyck is great. Ian Bannen steals the show as a crass bully and Denholm Elliott is his uptight foil. There's a great music score by Ron Grainer. The script was worked on by Bryan Forbes.