THE LONG DUEL—-“Sultan knows these hills and forests like the back of his hand.”  Yeah, well, we know this kind of adventure flick and there are better examples to be had. Set in 1920s India, it’s about an outlaw Dacoit tribal leader who evades and harasses the British for several years.

A case of gin just might get us through this script.

The 115 minutes of this soggy firecracker were directed by Ken Annakin. Peter Yeldham’s script pits Yul Brynner—unengaged—against Trevor Howard, looking embarrassed as the guy who feels pity for Yul, and Harry Andrews, his upper lip quite stiffened.

Yul ready to meet critics in lobby at premiere

Others in the cast leave nary a dent, including early Charlotte Rampling, and a young Edward Fox as some ‘left-tenant’ (blink you’ll miss him). The music score adds nothing, and though there are six different action sequences breaking up the scowls and balderdash they’re sloppily staged, just a lot of noise and obvious stunts. Maybe those pretty Spanish mountains (subbing for the Himalayas) were too high of an elevation for a crew to function at their finest: the picture gasps for lack of freshness.

I say, a most unjolly bad show, old chap, tut-tut and all that rot

Budgeted at £1,069,669 (about $2,942,000,) from 1967, where its $1,300,000 US gross expired at 127th place. With Andrew Keir, Virginia North, Laurence Naismith, Maurice Denham, Imogen Hassall (dubbed ‘The Countess of Cleavage’, she died in 1980 by her own hand at the age of 38) and George Pastell.

Another poster better than its film