Campbell’s Kingdom (1957)

Campbell’s Kingdom is a slightly unconventional 1957 British thriller. It was based on the 1952 Hammond Innes novel of the same name. Innes is now largely forgotten but he was one of the great thriller writers.

This is a frontier adventure tale of sorts. Bruce Campbell (Dirk Bogarde) arrives from England to take up his inheritance in the wilds of Canada. His inheritance is known as Campbell’s Kingdom. It’s a completely worthless tract of land, but Campbell doesn’t think it’s worthless. His now deceased grandfather thought there was oil there. Nobody ever believed him. His grandfather was accused of fraud and sent to prison. But Bruce Campbell believes his grandfather was right.

He has his own reasons for believing and he has his own reasons for being determined to find that oil. Those reasons do not include greed. Even if there is oil Bruce Campbell will never see any money from it.

His immediate problem is Owen Morgan (Stanley Baker). Morgan, a very shady construction contractor, has a contract to build a dam. The dam will flood Campbell’s Kingdom. After that, even if there is oil there, no-one will ever be able to be able to find it or access it.

The most recent geological survey by the seismological surveyor, Bladen (Michael Craig), confirmed what everybody knew. There is no oil. But a conversation with Bladen arouses Campbell’s suspicions. And that conversation arouses Bladen’s suspicions as well. He is an honest man. Perhaps he has been deceived in some way as well.

Test drilling would provide the answer but in a few short weeks the whole valley will be underwater. Even worse, Morgan controls all access to Campell’s kingdom. There is no way to do any test drilling. But Campbell has a plan.

And he has the man to help him carry it out. James MacDonald (James Robertson Justice) is a wildcat oil driller and he’s a man prepared to take a huge gamble.

This is a thriller with almost no violence at all. There’s crookedness and skullduggery but not violence. There is however plenty of action and excitement. And explosions! And there are two race-against-time elements. Ralph Thomas was the director. He made fine movies in lots of different genres, in fact in just about every genre you can name including some good thrillers. It’s no surprise that he is able to get plenty of thrills out of this story.

Dirk Bogarde might seem an odd casting choice but it works. This is a clash between two men representing very different types of masculinity. Stanley Baker as Morgan is aggressive, overbearing, hard-driving and overtly macho. Bruce Campbell is quiet, passive and self-effacing but he does not lack courage and under the surface is a steely determination and an iron will. This is a guy who never backs down and never gives up. Which is why the casting of Bogarde works - he is the perfect counterpoint to Baker.

Michael Craig plays Bladen as a nice guy but he’s also tougher than he looks. James Robertson Justice is of course a delight.

There is, naturally, a girl. Jean Lucas (Barbara Murray) played a part in Bruce Campbell’s past, a part of which Campbell knew nothing. For a number of reasons she knows she cannot play a part in his future. This is in spite of the fact that she fallen instantly head over heels in love with him, and he’s obviously pretty fond of her. Barbara Murray plays her as feisty and likeable.

Look at for Sid James in a small role.

Hammond Innes always made superb use of either nautical settings or settings in the frozen wastes of the North. He had a real feel for such settings, and that’s reflected in this movie. There’s some lovely location shooting, all done in Italy (with the Dolomites standing in for Canada). The special effects are extremely well done.

It’s refreshing and unusual to see a movie in which the oil men are the good guys.

Campbell’s Kingdom is unusual enough to be interesting, it looks great, it has excitement and some romance and some fine acting. Highly recommended.

The Blu-Ray from the now defunct Network is still available and it looks lovely.