The Steel Fist

Good 1950's drama, deep in the cold war. When a student (mcdowall) in an eastern block country almost gets caught protesting at the university, he must flee. The underground network must help him get to the border. Most of the film is spent with the couple who help him at the safe house. Good suspense while they are being chased across the rocks. It's pretty low budget, but it still works. A bit silly, with grandiose quotations at the start and at the conclusion. And this was ten years before the berlin wall went up! The un-american activities hearings were going on in washington, but mccarthy was censured in the mid 1950's (for the second time!) and lost his power. Co-stars kristine miller and harry lauter. Directed by wes barry for monogram. His first, as lead director. From the novel by phyllis parker.