A Prize of Gold

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.

Never viewed this Richard Widmark film and was very disappointed at the entire picture. In this picture Widmark plays the role as an Air Force Sgt Joe Lawrence who is stationed in Berlin and is eager to retire but he always manages to get himself into trouble. Joe leaves his jeep on a street and it gets stolen by a homeless young German boy who runs the jeep into a ditch and destroys the axle. Joe follows the boy to where he lives and meets up with a pretty blonde named Maria, (Mai Zetterling) and they both fall in love with each other. Joe becomes interested in making a quick buck by stealing some old Nazi precious goods and the story takes another twist and becomes very detailed and confusing.

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.

Richard Widmark was sometimes quite good in his more edgy, grittier parts - but shove him in an uniform and he is really just a pretty boy - like he is here. When a cache of gold is discovered by some remarkably honest folks dredging a river in Berlin, it is turned over to the joint British and American authorities and "Joe" (Widmark) is charged with shifting it. Meantime, he and his pal "Morris" (George Cole) have their jeep pinched by a youngster. Giving chase, he arrives at a bombed-out building being used as a makeshift orphanage by "Maria" (Mai Zetterling) and "Dr. Zachmann" (Karel Stepanek). He wants to help, and so with his pal and a pretty ruthless "Hammell" (Nigel Patrick) finds a way to divert the gold and... Donald Wolfit is quite effective as the pretty devious "Alfie", but the rest of this blurs a decent adventure caper with too much romance and Widmark really isn't on very good firm. The dialogue is wordy and rambling and though the ending is rather befitting - for Patrick anyway, it is all just a bit routine and humdrum.

This Mark Robson's film produced in England is more European than American. Only Widmark brings the US touch. This is not a bad film though, just common, without any more ambition to entertain and bring something unusual. I can't say any harm about it, but nothing exciting either. What can I say? In terms of heist film, there were dozens of this kind better than this one, for instance THE DAY THEY ROBBED THE BANK OF ENGLAND, directed by John Guillermin and also starring an American actor - Aldo Ray - for this British film too. Both films, however, show some similarities. Same kind of ending for instance.