Note: the Germany release date is 1965; however, the appearance by Ron Howard alone makes this a 1959 production - so, was it or not released in the US when first produced?
A very odd crime suspense drama. Very low budget. The violence is more threatened than presented, including an implicit rape that is kept off-camera. The mature issues involved make the intended audience problematic - it's not kinky enough to be a true exploitation thriller, certainly too kinky for straight movie houses of the era.
Johnny Cash is the stand-out performance here, hands down. Everyone else in the film is a recognized character actor of the day, and they all perform professionally; it is exactly Cash's lack of professional acting chops, plus his natural charisma and generally wired energy, that give him an unpredictability that reeks of danger throughout the film. Further, there is so much more of his character here that wants to be developed, such as his odd commitment to avoiding hurting the child played by Howard.
The low budget leaves that undeveloped, and probably accounts for the lack of direct action the film desperately needs - there should be some truly violent act somewhere in the middle of the film's running time to balance off the tension (say, the killing of a real door-to-door salesman who happens into the hostage house by accident), but it never shows up. Consequently, the finale can't avoid feeling unsatisfying.
This is actually emphasized by a weird little coda where the couple drive off... Well, I won't spoil it; but the tone of the very last scene is decidedly late 30's or late 40's - doesn't fit the rest of the film at all.
Definitely worth seeing, but don't expect any diamond in the rough - except for Mr. Cash, of course, running blues licks on his guitar in a manner not typical of his recorded musical performances of the time.
A very odd crime suspense drama. Very low budget. The violence is more threatened than presented, including an implicit rape that is kept off-camera. The mature issues involved make the intended audience problematic - it's not kinky enough to be a true exploitation thriller, certainly too kinky for straight movie houses of the era.
Johnny Cash is the stand-out performance here, hands down. Everyone else in the film is a recognized character actor of the day, and they all perform professionally; it is exactly Cash's lack of professional acting chops, plus his natural charisma and generally wired energy, that give him an unpredictability that reeks of danger throughout the film. Further, there is so much more of his character here that wants to be developed, such as his odd commitment to avoiding hurting the child played by Howard.
The low budget leaves that undeveloped, and probably accounts for the lack of direct action the film desperately needs - there should be some truly violent act somewhere in the middle of the film's running time to balance off the tension (say, the killing of a real door-to-door salesman who happens into the hostage house by accident), but it never shows up. Consequently, the finale can't avoid feeling unsatisfying.
This is actually emphasized by a weird little coda where the couple drive off... Well, I won't spoil it; but the tone of the very last scene is decidedly late 30's or late 40's - doesn't fit the rest of the film at all.
Definitely worth seeing, but don't expect any diamond in the rough - except for Mr. Cash, of course, running blues licks on his guitar in a manner not typical of his recorded musical performances of the time.