Edgar Soberon Torchia This entertaining adventure drama about smuggling in late 18th century is somehow betrayed by its low budget, more evident in the ship wrecking scenes, under furious storms. It tells the story of a British coastal town laden with taxes, where almost everybody has turn to smuggling to make ends meet. The action never stops with good rhythm and precise dialogue, and the enjoyment is evident in the actors' faces. All the cast is very effective, with Peter Cushing as a magistrate with a secret that haunts him, Bernard Lee as the villain before playing M to Sean Connery's James Bond, John Fraser as a dashing young swordsman and William Franklyn as a highwayman that becomes a hero. With pretty Michèle Mercier as the love interest, June Thorburn as Cushing's daughter and Liz Fraser in one of her best early roles as waitress-spy, this is one of John Gilling's best contributions to period drama.

Leofwine_draca Although primarily known for their horror output, Hammer Studios did a handful of pirate/smuggling/swashbuckling movies back in the early '60s, and this is one of the most well-known. Unfortunately, it's an exceedingly dull affair, that never really becomes exciting – even during some acceptable fencing and sword-fighting bouts. Why is the film so dull? Well, it's a mystery, not least because John Gilling is the man who bought us the excellent and atmospheric PLAGUE OF THE ZOMBIES.FURY AT SMUGGLERS' BAY retains the same kind of rugged, wild settings on the Cornish coastline, so at least the scenery is very easy on the eye. And another plus is the casting – Hammer have amassed a bunch of dependable, believable actors for all the parts, top-lined of course by Cushing's indomitable Squire Trevenyan. Although Cushing is a good guy this time around, he's just as cold and ruthless as Baron Frankenstein, even more so in some instances! Cushing is ably supported by Bernard Lee, chewing the scenery as the wrecker, Black John. Lee would, of course, go on to great fame as 'M' in the James Bond films, and he's just as good here.The young, dashing, romantic males are played well by John Fraser and William Franklyn, who both bring charisma to their parts, and they in turn are supported by some engaging love interests – especially Michele Mercier (AVENGER OF THE SEVEN SEAS), who has got to be one of the finest French women in existence! Liz Fraser is thoroughly alluring as the buxom blonde waitress. There are lots of familiar faces lower down in the cast list, including Miles Malleson in yet another amusing cameo (after Dracula), Maitland Moss, and George Coulouris. For my money, though, all these guys have their thunder stolen by two ethnic actors – the first is Christopher Carlos, whose hulking pirate is a real brute, the second is a young Indian lad known only as 'Juma', who's pretty handy with a knife.The film's storyline is a little convoluted, but bolstered by plenty of action, from shoot-outs to fist-fights, to fencing bouts. There are some twists and turns that are quite engaging and the music is, as always for a Hammer film, spot on. Nevertheless, the entire movie seems devoid of excitement, even during the climax; it just seems routine rather than engaging.

MARIO GAUCI The title tells all in this second-rate but enjoyable adventure on a popular subject; star Peter Cushing gives it his all, as ever, and he's matched by a larger-than-life performance by Bernard Lee as the chief villain. Still, Cushing's previous collaboration with writer/director Gilling – THE FLESH AND THE FIENDS (1959) – had proved a lot more substantial (despite being shot in black-and-white).Anyway, the remaining cast includes veteran George Coulouris, playing a French merchant convicted by squire Cushing as a wrecker, while John Fraser (in the role of the latter's son) and Michele Mercier (as the Frenchman's daughter) comprise the requisite love interest. Other notable characters to figure in the plot are a mysterious highwayman known only as "The Captain" and a young boy who goes by the name of Juma (also the name of the actor!), both of whom start off by being in cahoots with Lee and his gang but gradually change loyalties to emerge heroic by the film's conclusion. The widescreen print I watched (culled from the Region 2 DVD) displays some color fading but is otherwise pretty decent.In the end, when compared to the similar but superior CAPTAIN CLEGG (1962; with Peter Cushing in the title role) – which being a Hammer production is, unsurprisingly, a more horror-oriented venture – this is unassuming family fare; two more films in the same vein I'd love to catch up with (both, incidentally, Hammer titles co-starring Christopher Lee) but which have never turned up in my neck of the woods are PIRATES OF BLOOD RIVER (1962; also directed by Gilling) and THE DEVIL-SHIP PIRATES (1964)...

JHC3 This tale of shipwreckers in rural Cornwall was inspired by the real history of the area. The brutal tradition of shipwrecking has been covered in a number of films and is truly worthwhile subject for dramatization. One would have thought that with a director like John Gilling and a star like Peter Cushing that a well done tragic story would result.Peter Cushing plays Squire Trevenyan. The Squire is the sole judge and jury for the area and is periodically backed up by soldiers. His efforts succeed in nabbing a group of smugglers/wreckers, but only provokes more violence. Soon, his beloved son is the target of a kidnapping plot aimed at obtaining freedom for the captured criminals.This is truly a well crafted film. It seems to have the makings of an excellent film: strong cast, excellent shooting locations, good cinematography, and strong production values. Unfortunately, the story just didn't grab me. The result was tepid. In fact, "dull" is closer to the mark. Nevertheless, die hard fans of Peter Cushing, John Gilling, or the genre should probably still give it a chance. Perhaps others will see something in it that I missed. I really wanted to like this film, I really did.