Voice of the Hurricane (1964) | British De-Colinzation Drama

From The NY Times, June 3, 1964 :

As crude as it is—and, believe me, "Voice of the Hurricane" is so crude, so naive and obvious in places that it's hard to keep from snickering at it — there is still a kind of wholesome simplicity and sincerity about this film to save it from the critical slaughtering to which it frequently seems doomed.It is like a parable concocted by a country preacher to show that the problem of racial hatreds may be solved by an outpouring of love. Obviously, it is hackneyed. Its story is such a compound of clichés that it seems its diligent authors have used every one in the book. It is ponderously acted and directed. It smells of an indoor studio. But it appears so confident and guileless that it leaves you submissive and mute.Made by Moral ReArmament at its Mackinac Island studio, with several rather nice color inserts of wild animals shot in Kenya, East Africa, it tells of a tense situation on a British East African settler's farm during an abortive uprising by the Africans, before that territory obtained its independdence.The son of the settler, home from England, finds his father's racist ideas hard to take and tries to display a humane feeling toward the farm workers whom he considers his friends. But during a wild, stormy "night of the long knives," he is ruthlessly killed while on a mission of mercy for an African. At the same time, it is revealed that the family's faithful cook, who has been his best friend, is the secret leader of the uprising.The irony of this situation and the paradox it presents, of wrong being done to the wrong people because of unbridled hate, is clarified by an observer who is visiting the settler's home at the time. He says that "hate can only be washed out in a bloodbath — in the blood of Jesus Christ."Most serene and impressive of the performers is Muriel Smith, who plays the role of the cook. She manages generally to act with grace and dignity. And being the singer who originated the title role in the musical, "Carmen Jones," she is able to slide rather easily into a couple of interpolated songs, one of which is cute and amusing, the other on the sanctimonius side.The others—well, let's not look too closely at the kind of acting they do, and this includes that of Reginald Owen as a resident British official. William Pawley Jr. as the settler, David Cole as his son and William Close as the British visitor puff and spout a lot. The Africans are played excitedly by actors who are not identified. George Fraser's diligent direction is as clumsy as Alan Thornhill's script, but somehow, it leaves you disarmed, as does the whole picture, with its sheer ingenuousness and hopefulness.

The CastVOICE OF THE HURRICANE, screenplay by Alan Thornhill, from the play by Peter Howard and Mr. Thornhill; directed by George Fraser; produced by Scoville Wishard. A Ram Production released by Selected Pictures Corporation. At the Trans-Lux East Theater, Third Avenue and 58th Street. Running time: 80 minutes.Mary . . . . . Muriel SmithJanet Lord . . . . . Phyllis KonstamNigel Charter . . . . . Reginald OwenMark Pearce . . . . . William CloseDolly Charter . . . . . Jane WaxRichard Lord . . . . . David ColeHumphrey Lord . . . . . William Pawley Jr.

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