Crashout

This prison break movie wastes no time in getting down to business. "Crashout" is a B-Movie directed by Lewis R. Foster and it's just the kind of B-Movie the American cinema did beautifully in the fifties and it's got a terrific cast, (Arthur Kennedy, William Bendix, Luther Adler, Marshall Thompson, Gene Evans and William Tallman), all playing escaped convicts. Kennedy and Adler take the acting honours but they are all excellent and it's got a great plot involving stolen loot and dishonour amongst thieves. If it feels at times like an extended episode of a TV series, it's still a good one that scores points in every department. Maybe not an undiscovered gem but a pleasure nevertheless.

Crashout gets to the point quickly. A story of desperate escapees making their way out of the abyss. William Bendix gives a "close to the bone" portrayal of a desperate man who escapes prison with a motley crew. Nothing in this story comes easy. The six escapees work their way through several states by the skin of their teeth. On the other side is a split of a big pay day, but that pay day is way away buried in some of the most inhospitable territory imaginable. The common denominator is the promise of a huge buried payout. That's the story of Crashout. It's no easy road to glory for the cons, in the ensuing journey they cross paths with some unwitting characters. A journey of attrition whereby along the way not only does a possible love story evolve, but a the deaths of all but two remaining cons. The path to the big pay day is anything but a simple story. This is where Crashout rises above it's "B Movie" roots. Bendix give his usual colorful performance, but this time as a star front and center. The story suits his skills well. The end is a heartless reckoning. A sort of good trumps bad, but there is an opening. The character of "Joe" played by the great Arthur Kennedy may or may not be the last man standing. Does he have the buried fortune? Probably not, but if he survives he may actually have gained much more than the 180 grand. This is a really tasty slice of film noir. It grabs the viewer early on and doesn't let go. Your're in for the ride. It's especially gritty and dark for the day in which it was filmed. It has a buried heart which all humanity can connect to. Basically hopeless, Crashout still has something that one can grab on to and in that it keeps the viewer invested. Great "B-Movie" film noir and as such recommended viewing for those to whom this stuff speaks.

This 90 minute B film noir is a throw back to the chain gangs of the 1930s and it boasts a solid cast of usual second stringers, with Arthur Kennedy the standout performance, contrasting with the more animalesque nature of the rest of the convicts fleeing jail at the start of the movie. The ever reliable Bendix also shines as the ruthless leader using everyone to advance his own interests. Foster does a good job of directing, and extracts poignantly honest performances from Beverley Michaels and Marshall Thompson. Dialogue is credible, and photography more than suitable in terms of mood, atmosphere, and the elements. Ultimately, the main shortcoming is the production code in force at the time, whereby the criminal had to pay. You know well before the end what will happen to each of the six escapees.

A group of escaped convicts hide out in a wet cave waiting for the search for them to slow down. The ailing leader of the escape (William Bendix) is on the verge of death, and the poor doctor (Percy Helton) who is called to help them at gunpoint will find that he won't be allowed to tell what he knows. A few of the escapees seem to have a major love of carnage, and Bendix has a sadistic streak that won't even allow one of the younger members of the party (Marshall Thompson) go off with a young girl (Gloria Talbott) he meets on a train. When they hide out in the farmhouse of Beverly Michaels (a tough "B" girl giving her most versatile performance here), the compassion of one of them (the brilliant Arthur Kennedy) is revealed. Michaels plays a farm-bread girl who obviously tried the big city, became a victim to it, and returned home older, wiser, and sadder. Christopher Olsen is good as her illegitimate son who doesn't understand what's going on but shows deep courage anyway. This is one of those enjoyable yet far-fetched stories of crime that wasn't quite film noir but played like it on the surface. The characters are fascinating, if somewhat one-dimensional to watch, and William Bendix chews up the scenery as if it was steak. Acting honors go to Kennedy who makes his criminal character quite likable in spite of his past. Luther Adler, William Talman and Gene Evans also deliver exciting performances. The film is fast-moving, tightly edited, and filled with some shocking moments, one of them involving a man on fire. The ending is filled with irony and makes up for the film's over-all clichés.

What an overlooked gem! What a find! This convicts-on-the-run thriller is outstanding. Top-drawer performances led by William Bendix and Arthur Kennedy leave their dirty thumb prints all over this film. Explicitly violent for its time, film noir doesn't get much darker than this. "Crashout" is on the same level as "Kiss Me Deadly", "The Asphalt Jungle" and "The Killing". This masterful story is an absolute must-see for any crime-drama and/or film noir buff. A guaranteed wild ride.

1955 must have been Percy Helton's annus horribilis. Fingers crushed to a pulp in a drawer by Ralph Meeker in 'Kiss me Deadly'and much worse was to follow. Railroaded by a merciless gang of escaped convicts in 'Crashout', as a good-natured doctor, forced to treat and indeed save the life of William Bendix, who's been shot so full of lead he could have been sold for scrap metal. Bendix, who spends the early part of the movie, falling down rocks and into puddles, being shot and then swarmed upon by ants, begins to assert his power over the remaining five, by revealing that he has a vast stash of hot cash that he's prepared to share. Just one problem. It's three days journey away and hidden in a remote mountain location. Why couldn't he have stuffed it in a mattress and made life easier for everyone? The Bill Bendix Sextet inevitably starts shedding members as they undertake their challenge, driven by greed and desperation. Whenever one of the Inside Out Belly men auto-destructs, Bendix observes with cool detachment, calmly aware that an increased share in the spoils awaits him. Still, following a rumbling tum build-up, they eat well, have a ride aboard a steam train, view some breathtaking scenery and meet several AWFULLY nice people along the way. A rare leading role for Bendix and a change of pace from his more familiar likeable rogue persona. He largely nails it as the thoroughly odious, callous, ruthless crook, who emerges from a position of life-threatening helplessness to manipulate and orchestrate every move, preying upon the insatiable desire of the others to lay their grubby paws on the loot. His Brooklyn brogue intermittently slides into a gravelly Eastwood style rasp, depending upon the amount of pain he's in. Competently directed, well paced and featuring a solid supporting cast, including Arthur Kennedy and William Talman, as a phony, debauched man of the cloth, who conducts the most convoluted baptism by immersion (on Bendix) in Christian history. There have probably been faster drownings! Docked a Brownie point for its somewhat formulaic narrative and for a laughable sequence in which Talman runs down a motor cycle cop, who has sufficient time to make a will before the vehicle hits him. Didn't he consider dodging out of the way? Nevertheless, an entertaining minor noir, which provided some light relief in the wake of England's dismal performance in India. "See ya sucker(s)," could well have been Virat Kohli's dismissive farewell to the forlorn tourists.

The opening credits show the prison break itself so this movie is all about the run for freedom. A rag-tag motley crew of inmates, none of whom seems to like the others much, crack under the tension of the chase in different ways and seem fated to never truly escape themselves. The atmosphere is doom-laden from the outset and becomes more tragic as it goes on. Rare moments of levity arise in a few contrastingly sentimental mini-subplots as certain women are encountered/accosted along the way - but here again there is a melancholic tone, the same one that runs through this tale from start to finish. A raw, gritty and fatalistic movie which is much better than it has any right to be! Recommended.

No honor among thieves. Top notch writing, cast and director. It is slow starting but soon picks up speed. Great supporting characters and actors. Percy Helton's most challenging role.

Crashout isn't your typical prison movie. The film was produced by Ida Lupino's company with script contributions by blacklisted writer Cy Enfield. Crashout stars William Bendix, Arthur Kennedy, Gene Evans, William Talman,Luther Adler, Marshall Thompson, Beverly Michaels, and Gloria Talbot. Six men escape from prison and hide out in a cave while the police scour the countryside looking for them. One is killed almost immediately. The head guy is Van Morgan Duff (Bendix) who has $180,000 hidden, and he's on his way to get it, agreeing to split it six wways. However, right at the beginning, he's badly wounded - in fact, he plays dead, convincing the cop who shot him that he's finished. Though he seems like he's dying, he's strong enough to lay some groundrules. The men are supposed to stay in the cave for three days, but the food didn't make it during the escape. Peeking outside and seeing no one around, it's decided they can leave. From then on, we see these ruthless men robbing, stealing cars, killing, and walking toward their individual fates. Arthur Kennedy, no surprise there, is a standout as Joe Quinn. When the escapees take over a farmhouse, a spark ignites between Joe and Alice, who lives there. The cast is excellent, with Bendix, so pathetic in "Lifeboat," is mean as dirt here, and future television actors William Talman, Gene Evans, and Marshall Thompson lend good support, along with Broadway actor Luther Adler. I first saw Beverly Michaels in Pickup, giving an Ann Savage-like performance. From the films of hers I've seen, she can be soft and vulnerable, too. And as usual she towers over everyone. What some people won't do for money - including a very impressive walk in a blizzard up a mountain. A really good movie, exciting and well acted.

Inspired by all the wonderful reviews on this site, I actually bought the CD, especially because of the wonderful cast - primarily William Bendix and Arthur Kennedy, but also a host of character actors we recognize but to whom it is difficult to attach faces, i.e William Talman (the hapless D.A. on Perry Mason), Gene Evans, Marshall Thompson, and Luther Adler. Despite all the plaudits here, the film, despite its attempts to capture the flavor of noir, descends into rote formulas and plot clichés. The fault is not with the actors, who all do well, but with the script. Credibility is stretched beyond the breaking point. No woman held hostage, with son in tow, by a group of thugs could ever realistically be expected to develop a romantic attachment with one them on a side trip while her son was being held by the others, especially when that side trip is a blatant plot device for exactly that purpose. Arthur Kennedy is one of my favorite actors and he does his best here with what he is given, but this potboiler should be avoided.