170 ICE COLD IN ALEX
that the Germans have advanced east along the coast road, all the way to El Daba,
100 miles west of Alexandria. They will be intercepted and captured if they con-
tinue on their pres ent course, so they decide to go through the Qattara Depression
after all. Pugh, already troubled by van der Poel’s lack of knowledge of South Afri-
can Army customs, covertly follows him when he leaves the group and heads off
into the desert with his pack and a spade (supposedly to dig a latrine). Pugh reports
that he thinks he saw a radio antenna, but Anson cautions them against confront-
ing van der Poel just yet. They drive on and soon arrive at Siwa Oasis, where they
meet a British Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) officer (Peter Arne) disguised as
an Egyptian tribesman, who arranges to supply them with water and petrol. They
start driving through the Qattara Depression the next morning but have to pause
when Katy begins to overheat and Anson faints from thirst and exhaustion. Later,
at night, they decide to use the ambulance headlights to see what Van de Poel is
really up to when he goes off with his spade and knapsack. Trying to evade the
light, van der Poel steps into quicksand and starts to go under but he has the pres-
ence of mind to push his pack into the ooze— though not before the others see
that it contains a radio set. They manage to save van der Poel by dragging him out
with a cable attached to Katy. Afterwards, Anson deliberately throws van der Poel’s
South African Army uniform shirt into the quicksand— a move that puzzles Diana.
The others now realize that van der Poel is a Nazi spy but they decide not to con-
front him. The next night, Diana seduces Anson. During the final leg of the jour-
ney Katy and her crew face a steep, sandy escarpment as they try to exit the Qattara
Depression. The men take turns laboriously rotating Katy’s starter hand crank in
reverse in order to inch her up the slippery gradient. Almost near the top, Katy
slips out of gear and descends the slope again, and the grueling, Sisyphean pro-
cess must be repeated. This time, Van der Poel’s superior strength is again crucial
to achieving success. When they fi nally reach Alexandria they repair to Anson’s
favorite bar, where he orders his coveted cold beer. Before they have all finished
their first round, a Corps of Military Police (CMP) lieutenant (Basil Hoskins) arrives
to arrest Van der Poel. Anson, who had prearranged the arrest with a CMP check-
point officer (Michael Nightingale) as they entered the city, orders him to wait until
the appointed time. Anson shows his gratitude to Van der Poel by offering him a
deal: if he tells Anson his name, then Anson will ensure that he is labeled as a
prisoner of war (POW) rather than a spy, thus escaping execution. Van der Poel
admits that his name is Hauptmann Otto Lutz and that he is an engineering offi-
cer with the 21st Panzer Division. Pugh removes Lutz’s fake dog tags to keep him
safe from the military police. Lutz finishes his beer, shakes hands all around, and
declares that they were “all against the desert, the greater enemy. I’ve learned a lot
about the En glish, so dif fer ent than what I’ve been taught.” He bids his erstwhile
comrades “Auf Wiedersehen” before being driven away into captivity.Reception
Ice Cold in Alex premiered in London on 24 June 1958 to decent box office and
good reviews (e.g., the reviewer for The London Times called it “a realistic study of
human resolution in the face of mounting adversities”). Entered into competition