The Secret of Convict Lake (1951)

Director:

Michael Gordon

Writers:

Anna Hunger (story)
Jack Pollexfen (story)

Release Date:

8 September 1951 (Sweden)

Genre:

Western

Plot:

Jim Canfield, convicted of a crime he did not commit, escapes a Nevada prison with several hardened criminals...

Plot Keywords:

Revenge | Escaped Convict | Beautiful Woman

Cast

Glenn Ford	...	Jim Canfield
Gene Tierney	...	Marcia Stoddard
Ethel Barrymore	...	Granny
Zachary Scott	...	Johnny Greer
Ann Dvorak	...	Rachel Shaeffer
Barbara Bates	...	Barbara Purcell
Cyril Cusack	...	Edward 'Limey' Cockerell
Richard Hylton	...	Clyde Maxwell
Helen Westcott	...	Susan Haggerty
Jeanette Nolan	...	Harriet Purcell
Ruth Donnelly	...	Mary
Harry Carter	...	Rudy Shaeffer

Runtime:

83 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

THE SECRET OF CONVICT LAKE (Michael Gordon, 1951) ***

Unusual Western which creates a wonderful atmosphere throughout with the gleaming black-and-white cinematography of the snowy setting; the narrative is set in motion with the appearance of five escaped prisoners (hungry, tired and with the law on their tails) at a small backwoods village, which they presently find inhabited only by the womenfolk. The former are led by Zachary Scott and, in their majority, expect to have a run of the place – but have reckoned without the resilience of the women, who have learned to defend themselves from outsiders.

Besides, Scott is constantly at loggerheads with Glenn Ford: the latter had been convicted by the false evidence given at the trial by a local (the intended of heroine Gene Tierney), and Ford has come there expressly for the purpose of revenge – while Scott is eager to lay his hands on the fortune he believes Ford stole and, consequently, is hidden there! Due to a raging blizzard, the women are forced to extend their hospitality to the prisoners; however, the two groups live in isolation from one another, until the barn is accidentally set on fire and the men lend a helping hand – which breaks down the barrier if only for a little while.

Two other important female roles are those of Ann Dvorak as Tierney's prospective sister-in-law (a shrewish spinster who's subsequently given the runaround by the slimy Scott – only so that he can get her to reveal the location of the weapons, which the women have hidden away) and Ethel Barrymore as, naturally, the matriarch of the settlement (bearing a strong will to make up for her fading health). Among the convicts are Cyril Cusack (the philosopher in the group) and Jack Lambert (the equally unavoidable brutish thug); another is a harmless-looking young man who goes into blackouts when contradicted and is then gripped by a homicidal fury – he strikes a friendship with the youngest in the place (Barbara Bates) but is soon forcing himself on the girl when he gets her alone…which leads him to a fight with Ford and then has to contend with the wrath of the other women, who promptly attack him with their pitch-forks!

Of course, Ford and Tierney themselves develop feelings for one another – and, ultimately, the latter confesses that she doesn't love her fiancée (having accepted him only out of gratitude for the attentions he gave Tierney when down on her luck). Eventually, the menfolk of the village turn up and the convicts have to shoot it out with them (minutes only after Dvorak has disclosed the hiding-place of the money – stolen by her brother – and which Tierney has given to Scott so that he and his companions could leave!); amid all this hubbub, Ford has a showdown with his old nemesis (witnessed by Tierney). The finale is quite splendid: with the weather now calm, the posse has resumed the chase – arriving on the scene just as the townsfolk are holding services over five graves (whose occupants the former take to be the fugitives); at first, the locals were divided over whether to give Ford away or not but, after Tierney has pleaded his case, Barrymore's authority over the community ensures that everyone is of the same mind.

Though essentially modest (running for a mere 83 minutes), the film is both good-looking and well-acted – very much an under-appreciated genre effort, evoking memories of such classics as THE OX-BOW INCIDENT (1943) and YELLOW SKY (1948), which ought to be on DVD (God knows Fox have done well by their vintage catalogue). By the way, I've got two more exotic Glenn Ford titles from this same era to catch up with – namely APPOINTMENT IN HONDURAS (1953) and PLUNDER OF THE SUN (1953) which thankfully, are on DVD…