Station Six Sahara (1963)

Station Six Sahara (1963)

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“What kind of a place is this, anyway?”

Synopsis:
At a remote desert pump station run by a dictatorial German (Peter van Eyck), the sudden appearance of a sultry woman (Carroll Baker) and her husband (Biff McGuire) stirs tensions among the bored men — including a quiet Spaniard named Santos (Mario Adorf), a recently arrived German named Martin (Jörg Felmy), and a Scotsman (Ian Bannen) who takes pleasure in baiting an Englishman (Denholm Elliott).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Carroll Baker Films
  • Denholm Elliott Films
  • Deserts
  • Femmes Fatales

Review:
This German-British co-production about boredom, power dynamics, and sexual rivalry at a remote work station in the Sahara Desert was directed by Seth Holt, and co-scripted by Brian Clemens and Bryan Forbes, adapting a 1938 German film based on a play by Jean Martet. The first half of the movie slowly builds tension as we see how these five men manage their hours in the broiling heat under the leadership of a petty martinet (van Eyck), who insists they all play poker with him each day according to his rules.

Meanwhile, an intriguing subplot has Bannen offering Elliott an entire month’s pay in exchange for taking one of the letters he’s received from home, taunting him thereafter for having given up ownership of his own (unknown) news.

Stakes — and priorities — shift once again when Baker and McGuire come barreling up to the station, resulting in a car accident which leaves McGuire severely wounded and Baker conveniently ripe for pursuit. While Baker gives a deliciously unhinged performance as a femme fatale:

… the storyline doesn’t seem to have anywhere interesting to go with her, other than of course watching to see who may manage to seduce her (or not), and how her husband will react. It’s a disappointing trajectory for a film with such a unique setting and fine supporting performances by the cast (especially Bannen, Baker, and Elliott); this one is worth a one-time look but not must-see viewing.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • Ian Bannen as Fletcher
  • Carroll Baker as Catherine Starr
  • Denholm Elliott as Macey
  • Gerald Gibbs’ cinematography
  • Ron Grainer’s score

Must See?
No, though it’s unusual enough to check out once.

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One thought on “Station Six Sahara (1963)”

  1. Rewatch (7/15/22). Not must-see.

    At the time of its release, ‘SSS’ was something of a scandal due to Baker’s ‘sultry’ appearance. Today’s viewers are likely to wonder what the fuss was all about. Here, Baker may be blonde with cleavage but she’s been sexier elsewhere.

    Before she shows up – and even after she arrives – there’s way too much dull talk that sounds more significant than it ever turns out to be.

    I’m not sure if this dead-end premise set in the desert could ever have been interesting.

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