The Hell with Heroes (1968)

Director: Joseph Sargent

Starring: Rod Taylor, Claudia Cardinale, Harry Guardino, Kevin McCarthy, Pete Duel, William Marshall, Don Knight

More info: IMDb

Tagline: They all had something to sell...courage...sex...corruption!

Plot: In 1946 North Africa, two former US Air Force pilots are forced to work for an international smuggler to get money needed for their return to civilian life after fighting in World War II.

My rating: 6/10

Will I watch it again? Only if a good widescreen print surfaces.

Rod Taylor is one of my favorite badasses. After seeing him in action a few years ago in DARK OF THE SUN (1968) I was hooked. Since I'm spending this month watching a bunch of flicks from 1968, this one seemed like a good idea at the time. It's still a good idea only I wish I had a decent widescreen print instead of the shitty VHS pan and scan transfer. Yuck. But still, Rod is a badass saying and doing badass things.


As is sometimes the case, though, it's the love story that bogs some pictures down and this one was no exception. It's not a deal killer but I just wasn't into it all that much. It's not like I don't dig on romance (I do) but for my money this part of the movie was the least interesting. The acting from all sides is good and they elevate a relatively simple story. There's some good tension and I think there was some good action (there were some scenes where shit was going down but the print I watched was so dark I couldn't make out anything but shapes). I like the picture and I think I'll put it back on my to-watch list if a good widescreen print shows up.