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''A Prize of Gold'' is a 1955 Technicolor
film noir Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American ' ...
crime film Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine ...
directed by
Mark Robson Mark Robson may refer to: * Mark Robson (film director) (1913–1978), Canadian-American film director and producer * Mark Robson (American writer), Scottish-American writer and expert in United States coins and stamps * Mark Robson (footballer) ...
partly filmed in West Berlin. The film stars Richard Widmark as a United States Air Force Air Police Master Sergeant motivated by love and compassion to begin a life of crime. It was based on the 1953 novel of the same title by
Max Catto Maxwell Jeffrey Catto (29 July 1907 – 12 March 1992) was born Mark Finkell in Manchester, England and was an English playwright and novelist. Writing career Catto wrote adventure novels and dramas for more than four decades and also wrote under ...
.


Plot

Master Sergeant Joe Lawrence ( Richard Widmark) is stationed in occupied Berlin shortly after the end of World War II. He encounters a group of German orphans when one of them tries to steal his Jeep. Joe finds Maria ( Mai Zetterling), one of the orphans' caretakers, very attractive. Maria is trying to take the children to Brazil, where they can start life anew. It is being arranged by her employer, Hans Fischer, a very successful German contractor. Hans tells Joe not to return. After thinking it over, Joe disregards him and soon falls in love with Maria. Maria breaks up with Joe, but Joe persists. When he sees Maria returning home and reluctantly submitting to her boss's kisses, he fights with Hans, ending Hans's assistance with the travel arrangements. His buddy, British Military Police Sergeant Roger Morris ( George Cole), has hinted about stealing part of a fortune in a recently discovered Reichsbank
gold bullion A gold bar, also called gold bullion or gold ingot, is a quantity of refined metallic gold of any shape that is made by a bar producer meeting standard conditions of manufacture, labeling, and record keeping. Larger gold bars that are produced ...
being transferred to England via military transport in a series of four shipments. Joe plans a daring
hijacking Hijacking may refer to: Common usage Computing and technology * Bluejacking, the unsolicited transmission of data via Bluetooth * Brandjacking, the unauthorized use of a company's brand * Browser hijacking * Clickjacking (including ''like ...
of the airplane, aided greatly by the fact that he works for the Air Provost Marshal, who shares the security responsibility for the shipments with the British. Roger's uncle Dan puts them in touch with Alfie Stratton, a semi-retired crook who can dispose of the gold. Alfie insists that they use ex- RAF pilot Brian Hammell ( Nigel Patrick), to protect his interests. The plan works up to a point. They hijack the
C-47 The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota (Royal Air Force, RAF, Royal Australian Air Force, RAAF, Royal Canadian Air Force, RCAF, Royal New Zealand Air Force, RNZAF, and South African Air Force, SAAF designation) is a airlift, military transport ai ...
and land at an abandoned airstrip in England. However, the crew manage to retake control of the airplane after only part of the bullion has been unloaded, and try to take off, only to crash into Alfie's car (used to light the runway) and burn. After the gang leave, the crewmen manage to get out unobserved. Thinking they have killed three men, Joe decides to return the gold and turn himself in. Roger and Dan agree. Alfie is regretting getting back into a life of crime, so Joe has no trouble letting him out, in exchange for £5000 to be given to Dan. Brian, who shot at the escaping aircraft and has no qualms against murder, is the only obstacle. Alfie and Dan leave. When Brian wakes up, he does not like the new arrangement. In the ensuing fight, Roger falls to his death and Joe is knocked out. Joe comes to and chases Brian. In his desperation to get away (with a few gold bars), Brian ends up clinging to the edge of a rising
drawbridge A drawbridge or draw-bridge is a type of moveable bridge typically at the entrance to a castle or tower surrounded by a moat. In some forms of English, including American English, the word ''drawbridge'' commonly refers to all types of moveable ...
, finally losing his grip and plummeting into the water far below. When Joe is brought back to Berlin for his
court-martial A court-martial or court martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of memb ...
, he sees Maria and the orphans leaving for Brazil.


Cast

* Richard Widmark as Sergeant Joe Lawrence * Mai Zetterling as Maria * Nigel Patrick as Brian Hammell * George Cole as Sergeant Roger Morris * Donald Wolfit as Alfie Stratton * Joseph Tomelty as Uncle Dan Watson * Andrew Ray as Conrad * Karel Stepanek as Dr. Zachmann * Robert Ayres as Tex * Eric Pohlmann as Fischer * Olive Sloane as Mavis * Alan Gifford as Major Bracken *
Ivan Craig Walter Ivan Sackville Craig (22 February 1912 – 7 March 1995) was a British (Scottish) actor, the son of Dr. Eric S. Craig and Dorothy Gertrude Meldrum. Ivan Craig was born in Edinburgh. In 1940 he married Lilian May Davies, a fashion mo ...
as British Major * Harry Towb as Benny Joan Regan sings the title song.


Production

Warwick bought film rights to the novel in April 1953 and originally announced they wanted Montgomery Clift for the lead.
R.C. Sheriff Robert Cedric Sherriff, FSA, FRSL (6 June 1896 – 13 November 1975) was an English writer best known for his play ''Journey's End'', which was based on his experiences as an army officer in the First World War. He wrote several plays, many nove ...
was assigned the screenplay and
Mark Robson Mark Robson may refer to: * Mark Robson (film director) (1913–1978), Canadian-American film director and producer * Mark Robson (American writer), Scottish-American writer and expert in United States coins and stamps * Mark Robson (footballer) ...
, who had just made ''Hell Below Zero'' for Warwick, was to direct.
Alan Ladd Alan Walbridge Ladd (September 3, 1913 – January 29, 1964) was an American actor and film producer. Ladd found success in film in the 1940s and early 1950s, particularly in films noir and Westerns. He was often paired with Veronica Lake ...
had made three films for Warwick and he was in discussions to play the lead as well. The movie was part of a new three-picture deal Warwick signed with Columbia (the others being '' The Cockleshell Heroes'' and ''Safari''.) John Paxton was brought in to rewrite Sheriff's script. In early 1954 Richard Widmark signed to star opposite Nigel Patrick. Filming began in July 1954 and took place at Shepperton Studios and on location in Germany."These Are the Facts", ''Kinematograph Weekly'', 31 May 1956 p 14


See also

* List of American films of 1955


References


External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Prize of Gold, A 1955 crime films 1955 films American aviation films American crime films Columbia Pictures films Films based on British novels Films directed by Mark Robson Films set in 1948 Films set in 1949 Films set in airports Films set in Berlin Films set in London American heist films Films shot at Shepperton Studios Films shot at MGM-British Studios 1950s English-language films 1950s American films