On the TV earlier they were showing an old British war film made over 60 years ago. It was called
'Ice Cold in Alex' which referred to the ice cold beer John Mills promised to buy his companions, Anthony Quayle, Harry Andrews and Sylvia Syms as they went through trials and tribulations crossing the Sahara in a clapped out Austin ambulance trying to avoid Rommel's advancing army.
It wasn't quite as
'stiff upper lip' as many of the films made in those days, and the final scene is a classic. The four of them are in a bar in Alexandria and John Mills is buying them their ice cold glasses of lager. The scene called for John Mills to drink the first glass down in one gulp, then say one line:
"Worth waiting for." They had to use real lager because none of the substitutes looked real enough. It took 14 takes because he would gulp down the glass and then keep fluffing his line !!! - by which time he was three sheets to the wind !! Given Mr Mills was a true class act, you can't help but think he knew what he was doing.
It was released as a 'B' picture in the US, and the title was changed to
'Desert Attack.' (Of all people the Americans should have appreciated an ice cold beer in a hot country.)
The scene was later used by Carlsberg as a TV advert, and interestingly, the actors got a larger payment for the ad than they did for the film.
