1957’s The Long Haul is a UK noir starring Victor Mature as an American who, upon getting his discharge from the service, finds himself making house in Liverpool with his wife (Gene Anderson) and son (Michael Wade). She arranges a job driving long-haul trucks for her uncle (Wensley Pithey).
Mature is less than thrilled with this new career: “I should have stayed in the army.” It seems he encounters corruption on his first time driving. He’s driving one truck full of goods while Liam Redmond is at the wheel of the other. When they stop for a bite, Mature sees a couple of sharp-dressed guys hand a wad of cash to Redmond. Leaving the café, Mature happens to see those guys helping themselves to contents from the trucks. He intervenes, chasing them off.
Thinking he’s done the right thing, he’s in for a rude awakening when he gets to their destination. Those same guys robbing his truck put in a word with people in charge at the distribution facility, and he’s suddenly denied to opportunity to carry any loads.
And yet, Mature is still given an assignment to take a load that only he can be trusted with. As he puts it, “That’s a new twist, taking scotch into Scotland.” It is on the trip a couple of developments will happen that are unfortunate for him.
First, at the same diner as before, he is approached by Patrick Allen, a corrupt shipping magnate. Allen tries to buy him off, but Mature isn’t having any of it. Then Allen’s girlfriend (Diana Dors) comes in, and Allen is angry she didn’t wait in the car. She says she’s getting hungry. The exchange that follows does not bode well for their relationship: “You want to eat, then eat something.” “Not at this pig house.” “You forget, you were working in a pig house like this when I met you. And I can put you back there.”
She has other ideas, and Mature finds her in his cab. At another stop further down the road, they will spend the night together. So, there’s that bomb planted that will eventually blow up his marriage.
The next morning will bring the next step in his downfall, as the truck has been stolen. It will be found later, relieved of all its contents. So, goodbye employment, as no insurance company will cover him after this screw-up.
From here, it is one long downhill slide for Mature. His marriage is a mess and he is seeing more of Dors on the side. He’s also in physical danger, and the third act has him, Allen and Dors together in a large truck traversing very remote regions of Scotland, in an attempt catch a boat to sneak out of the UK. Many of these scenes appeared to be genuinely dangerous to film, as we often see the truck right on the edge of treacherous drop-offs. I also learned one weird trick when dealing with a stuck truck tire, and that is expensive furs apparently provide increased traction better than any other material.
I liked the character Dors has been given here. She isn’t portrayed as some mindless gold-digger and deliberate homewrecker. Instead, we’re made to feel a bit of sympathy for her. She may be needy, but she isn’t some diabolical, scheming creature. Really, she just seems to be a bit depressed.
The content is a bit more mature than I expected from such a film of that era, and that may be due to this being a UK production. All I know is, I doubt an American picture of this type would have had a late-stage reveal from Anderson that her son is not really Mature’s.
The Long Haul is pretty solid, and delivers some genuine thrills in that long and arduous ride through the hills of Scotland in the third act. Performances are solid, and a bit more nuanced than required.
Dir: Ken Hughes
Starring Victor Mature, Diana Dors, Patrick Allen
Watched on Mill Creek blu-ray box set Film Noir Archive Volume 3: 1957-1960