Lloyd Bridges is appropriately grim as an obsessed Canadian commando leader on a suicidal mission against the Third Reich in the United Artists' release "Attack on the Iron Cross." Andrew Keir, Maurice Denham, and Walter Gotell share the screen with the "Sea Hunt" star in this atmospheric, 90-minute epic plagued by second-rate model work and anemic characterization. This low-budget World War II thriller marked the first collaboration between "The Burglar" director Paul Wendkos and scenarist Herman Hoffman; a year later Hoffman reunited with the director on "Guns of the Magnificent Seven." Clearly, "Attack on the Iron Coast" doesn't show Wendkos in the best light. The combat sequences are adequate but immaculate. Soldiers spin, fall, and tumble but they don;t bleed. Not only does this United Artists release imitate the narrative of "633 Squadron," but also the producers have recycled composer Rod Goodwin's "633" compositions. Oddly enough, one seems to underline the other. Compare the use of certain musical cues with those in "633 Squadron" and you can tell what is happening.An aura of foreboding hangs like The Sword of Damocles over a top-secret raid in this wartime actioneer. Our heroes plunge into combat on the French coast at the port of Le Claire. Le Claire ranks as the German fleet's most vital and important installation on the French coast. Actually, the raid resembles the historic St. Nazaire raid in 1942. The commandos follow headstrong commander Major Wilson (Lloyd Bridges) into enemy country. Over an hour elapses before we are treated to gunfire galore on enemy soil. Wendkos and Hoffman focus largely on the Allies and the agonies of Major Wilson who defends the mission despite the wrath of his worst critics. One of those critics is Captain Franklin (Andrew Keir) who lost his son during a previous attempt to sabotage those German coastal facilities. The closest "Iron Coast" comes to conflict is the drama between Wilson and Franklin. We get only the merest glimpse of the Germans before our heroes apply burnt cork to their faces. Altogether, this exercise in stiff upper lip heroics is lackluster until the commandos launch their raid. "Attack on the Iron Coast" is far from memorable but eminently tolerable. Wendkos deploys his trademark Dutch tilt camera set-ups brilliantly at the outset and during the combat mission.Competently made but lackluster, "Attack on the Iron Coast" is only for World War II fanatics who haven't seen it or insomniacs.

There's not much to say in favour of this movie, except maybe that it makes a brave effort with a weak script and a small budget. The plot is too simple and straightforward, there's absolutely no action until the final 15 minutes or so, naval and air force scenes are low-quality models, most the entire film is taken up with some rather hokey conflicts between characters, the music is often too overblown for the action. The Germans are completely inept; for a port that can service one of the largest warships in the German navy, it seems undermanned and disorganized. When the action does come, there seems no objective to any of it; soldiers from both sides are constantly popping up left and right from behind cover and mowing down a few enemies before being mowed down themselves. What was the plan of this operation, anyway? To drive a ship rigged with explosives into the port and blow up the facilities. Sure, that's clear enough. But what are all those soldiers doing running this way and that way, shooting in every possible direction with no discernible purpose to it? They seemed to be aiming at some objective or other - they did keep running, after all - but what were they trying to do besides kill whatever Germans they ran across? I had some hope for the movie, but it was worse than I anticipated. And by the way, was there any point in having Lloyd Bridges play a Canadian? His wife and son spoke with British accents. Was he made Canadian just so that dear old Lloyd wouldn't have to fake a British accent?

I'm putting this movie up as one of my favourites. It wasn't glitzy war movie like others common in that time period /ie, Kelly's Heroes/Bridge at Remagen, Dirty Dozen.... It does a great job covering tragedies of war in a wide range of areas - loved ones/ young soldiers/training casualties. Also a great insight from dilemmas faced by operation planners -with limited resources available- right down to fears of rank and file. I always had a keen interest on the Raid of St.Nazaire and Brit commmandos so I was quite pleasantly surprised to stumble upon this movie to see it based on that. Sgt.Slaughter made an error in his review headline- it wasn't Canadian commandos portrayed in the movie -they were British led by a Canadian major -Bridges. The movie's raid action was great. The uniforms / weaponry had a very authentic look too. WW2 Buffs will love this movie -one overlooked unfortunately perhaps due to its lack-lustre box cover design.

I just wanted to point out, that this movie is indeed based on an actual event, the raid on St. Nazaire. The former flush decked WWI Destroyer "Campbeltown" was converted to look like a german "E-Boat" and was loaded with explosives, and rammed into the "Normandie" dry dock. The operation was code named "Operation Chariot", and commenced on March 28th, 1942.