Hold-up en plein ciel

Strong points of this film are scenes of Berlin, still showing signs of the war, and glimpses of London back streets in the mid-1950s, plus a strong cast, with Widmark, Patrick and Wolfit having the most striking screen presences.

APOG started off slowly, then became more interesting as the plot to steal the gold developed. But the last 30 minutes or so saw some implausibilities, not least in the actions of a couple of the characters, their changes of heart and the coincidental meeting right at the end.

Sergeant Lawrence (Richard Widmark) is a military officer stationed in Berlin after World War II. He meets and falls in love with an East German refugee named Maria (Mai Zetterling), who wants to relocate with a group of German orphans to South America.

Along with Sergeant Hammell (Nigel Patrick), Joe plans to steal a shipment of gold en route to England to finance the move. Although the robbery is executed to perfection, the trio begins to have second thoughts about parting with the loot.

It's a heist film but not of the dark kind - it's quite light with the romance between Widmark and Mai Zetterling which is enhanced by a nice romantic theme song by Joan Regan; Richard Widmark is less intense than usual and is more excitable, charming and jovial, especially when he sees Zetterling. Liked the scene where he drives her around in a Messerschmitt scooter. Is it sentimental? Yes, but it fits the tone of the film. Only gripe is that the relationship between Widmark and Zetterling should have been developed more.

However, it turns tense in the heist scene which is well done and quite tense - thanks mainly to Widmark looking like he's sweating buckets. Nigel Patrick plays the overly chatty posh guy who pilots the plane and is the chief villain, and George Cole (of TV Minders fame) is Widmark's friend. There's a good moral at the end - and positive ending, well for Zetterling and her sprogs. A pleasant and entertaining viewing.

Richard Widmark gets to play a sympathetic role for once in this early heist thriller in which nearly ten years before producer Cubby Broccoli made 'Goldfinger' Widmark was already trading in Nazi gold in this smuggling yarn based on a novel by Max Catto to be cherished for the opportunity to see the likes of Mai Zetterling, Nigel Patrick at his most jauntily amoral, George Cole (speaking with an outrageous Scots accent), Donald Wolfit, Erich Pohlman and Olive Sloane in glorious Technicolor.

Boasting its own title song, with a score by Malcolm Arnold that's noisy even for him. Shot by future Bond cameraman Ted Moore it all looks terrific although the cute little red bubble car in which Widmark nips about Berlin is hardly 007's Aston Martin.

I suppose everyone makes at least one indie European flick during his career. Montgomery Clift made The Big Lift, Kirk Douglas made The Juggler, Burt Lancaster made The Leopard, and Richard Widmark made A Prize of Gold. The story is both common and fresh, and Dick adds great energy to the film, especially because he doesn't usually get to have a love interest. He plays an American soldier stationed in post-war Germany, and when he falls in love with Mai Zetterling, plans for his future change. Mai works in an orphanage, and she wants money enough to transport the kids to a safer country. Dick is poor, and her boss is wealthy; true love isn't enough to buy airfare.

So, Dick turns to a life of crime. It's very sad to see him turn to the dark side because of a woman (and does she even feel the same way, or is she playing him to get money?), especially since he's so conflicted about it. But he does a good job, and even though this movie feels distinctly indie and European, it is entertaining if you're a Widmark fan. Everyone else can probably skip it and just rent their favorite actor's European corresponding adventure.

A PRIZE OF GOLD is a typical British thriller/adventure of the 1950s, featuring imported Hollywood heavyweight Richard Widmark - one of the better stars of his era. It's set in occupied Germany, where Mai Zetterling is leading a troupe of orphaned kids in a bid to make a better world, but all of this gets sort of jettisoned about half an hour in when this becomes a men on a mission movie. Widmark has to assemble a team to steal a gold shipment, and the crime plays out in the last half an hour. Screen favourites like Eric Pohlmann, George Cole and Nigel Patrick prop up the cast, and although this film isn't very well known, it's quite enjoyable.