...All dark at the beginning and the end....and all cream in the middle....
James Mason is the doctor to a criminal mastermind (Dan Duryea) who escapes to Mexico after stealing from his boss, not only taking his money from a bank robbery, but his mistress (Marta Toren) as well. They find themselves stranded in a Mexican village where they are taken in by a kindly priest (Basil Ruysdael) and welcomed by the friendly townspeople. But destiny is calling for them to pay for their crimes, and after this variation of "Green Acres", they end up back in Los Angeles where fate deals its sometimes cruel hand.
As a film noir, this starts off most promisingly, but ends up being submerged in a rather stereotypical view of simple Mexican folk, all eager to welcome the gringos into their community. Of course, there are the overly curious youth who flock to them like ducks to water and the ever present threat of bandidos who harass these innocent folks. But overall, the Mexican scenes reflect a sweetness that somehow never rings true. It all becomes too much that you long for them to return home to face the music.
Mason and Toren give good performances, while Basil Ruysdael as the priest seems to be too saintly, even if he has a mischievous twinkle in his eye. Duryea plays his typical tough-talking gangster with William Conrad in one of his typecast 50's hoodlum roles. When the plot line is focusing on the dark streets of Los Angeles, it is gritty and raw. Unfortunately, the middle switches gears so drastically that it never regains momentum.
James Mason is the doctor to a criminal mastermind (Dan Duryea) who escapes to Mexico after stealing from his boss, not only taking his money from a bank robbery, but his mistress (Marta Toren) as well. They find themselves stranded in a Mexican village where they are taken in by a kindly priest (Basil Ruysdael) and welcomed by the friendly townspeople. But destiny is calling for them to pay for their crimes, and after this variation of "Green Acres", they end up back in Los Angeles where fate deals its sometimes cruel hand.
As a film noir, this starts off most promisingly, but ends up being submerged in a rather stereotypical view of simple Mexican folk, all eager to welcome the gringos into their community. Of course, there are the overly curious youth who flock to them like ducks to water and the ever present threat of bandidos who harass these innocent folks. But overall, the Mexican scenes reflect a sweetness that somehow never rings true. It all becomes too much that you long for them to return home to face the music.
Mason and Toren give good performances, while Basil Ruysdael as the priest seems to be too saintly, even if he has a mischievous twinkle in his eye. Duryea plays his typical tough-talking gangster with William Conrad in one of his typecast 50's hoodlum roles. When the plot line is focusing on the dark streets of Los Angeles, it is gritty and raw. Unfortunately, the middle switches gears so drastically that it never regains momentum.