Copyright 1957 by Regal Films, Inc. Released through 20th Century- Fox. No New York opening. U.S. release: December 1957. U.K. release: 13 January 1958. Australian release: 24 April 1958. 6,476 feet. 72 minutes.
SYNOPSIS: A gang of five robs a gold train bound for the San Francisco mint.
COMMENT: The two films Hubert Cornfield directed for Regal are the best of the series, and "Plunder Road" is the better of the two. (The other Cornfield entry is "Lure of the Swamp"). With only a handful of exceptions, almost invariably the other films in the series are over-talkative, desultory affairs with little action and virtually no suspense or tension. "Plunder Road" is a complete negation of the usual Regal modus operandi, the exception that proves the rule.
From its gripping opening sequence, tension never falters. Of course, Cornfield's incisive, driving direction cannot rate as the only factor. The ingenuity of the Ritch-Charney script must also share the credit. Sure, it's an old plot, told many times before, but the variations here are most intriguing.
The casting is A-1 too. Gene Raymond, Wayne Morris and Elisha Cook hand in their usual reliable portrayals, Jeanne Cooper makes an attractive heroine, whilst scriptwriter Steven Ritch contributes a stand-out performance as a nervous wheelman. Cornfield's direction is not flashy, but as said above, it neatly combines an unrelenting pace with tingling suspense, and keeps audience interest at an uncommonly high pitch. Locations are used to advantage, enabling the story to peak at a satisfying climax.
Veteran cinematographer Ernest Haller (Gone With The Wind, Mildred Pierce, Rebel Without a Cause) has a chance to show us what superior work he can really do (unlike his lackluster camera-work on Christian Nyby's "Hell on Devil's Island"). In fact, "Plunder Road" is easily the best photographed Regal Film of all.
SYNOPSIS: A gang of five robs a gold train bound for the San Francisco mint.
COMMENT: The two films Hubert Cornfield directed for Regal are the best of the series, and "Plunder Road" is the better of the two. (The other Cornfield entry is "Lure of the Swamp"). With only a handful of exceptions, almost invariably the other films in the series are over-talkative, desultory affairs with little action and virtually no suspense or tension. "Plunder Road" is a complete negation of the usual Regal modus operandi, the exception that proves the rule.
From its gripping opening sequence, tension never falters. Of course, Cornfield's incisive, driving direction cannot rate as the only factor. The ingenuity of the Ritch-Charney script must also share the credit. Sure, it's an old plot, told many times before, but the variations here are most intriguing.
The casting is A-1 too. Gene Raymond, Wayne Morris and Elisha Cook hand in their usual reliable portrayals, Jeanne Cooper makes an attractive heroine, whilst scriptwriter Steven Ritch contributes a stand-out performance as a nervous wheelman. Cornfield's direction is not flashy, but as said above, it neatly combines an unrelenting pace with tingling suspense, and keeps audience interest at an uncommonly high pitch. Locations are used to advantage, enabling the story to peak at a satisfying climax.
Veteran cinematographer Ernest Haller (Gone With The Wind, Mildred Pierce, Rebel Without a Cause) has a chance to show us what superior work he can really do (unlike his lackluster camera-work on Christian Nyby's "Hell on Devil's Island"). In fact, "Plunder Road" is easily the best photographed Regal Film of all.