La trahison se paie cash

A Tennessee gambler (Joe Don Baker) who also runs a bar accidentally kills a sheriff in an act of self defence and is sent to prison for a long stretch. When he is eventually released early on parole he realises that he was set up and goes after those responsible to exact his revenge.

A very 1970s violent neo-noir small thriller with many violent set pieces. It was made by the team and lead actor who had made WALKING TALL in 1973. Director Phil Karlson was a veteran of tough hardboiled crime, gangster and action films and was allowed to go full force here.

A rather nasty, low-budget revenge thriller starring Joe Don Baker as a high-rolling professional card-player who encounters a deputy sheriff after escaping an earlier shoot-out set-up. When he kills the cop in clear self-defence, he's quickly railroaded by the so-called justice system, which includes his own solicitor and it seems the rest of the police department, is coerced into taking the rap for the "crime" and so goes to prison. The baddies even send a couple of heavies round to Baker's nightclub-singer girlfriend to stop her background efforts to help him and in fact take this to extremes by raping her under threat of a gun.

Rather like the internee in Stevie Wonder's great contemporary song, "Living For The City", Joe Don unsurprisingly leaves prison embittered and hardened, determined to exact revenge on those who put him inside and abused his girl. While in prison, he's made a couple of useful buddies, one a crime boss with connections and the other a paid hitman, who both come in very handy later on in the proceedings.

From there, you can pretty much get out your abacus to tally up the acts of violence and body count both of which steadily accumulate. You know how these things regularly turn out and this last-man-standing scenario isn't about to offer up any surprises in that respect.

With plenty of brutal scenes of violence depicted, including an unnecessarily cruel slaying of a guard dog, I suppose we must be grateful for the small mercies of the director not going all "Straw Dogs" in the treatment of the sexual attack on the singer, but nonetheless the acting is mixed in quality, although Baker certainly projects his tough-hombre persona even, it seems, while wearing crimplene slacks and a safari jacket.

Listen, I never watched any of the "Death Wish" movies which probably inspired this and I note as a sidebar that this type of feature has sort of come back into vogue, with Liam Neeson's "Taken" movies, not to mention Denzel Washington's "Equaliser" films, but this effort is a rather cheap and nasty affair, being a lot less well acted and directed, making me wish I'd done what Baker failed to do and that is, turn the other cheek when it came up on the screen.

"Framed" seems like it would be well received on the drive in circuit. You have a very sympathetic character, Joe Don Baker, framed and sent to prison, by at least a bunch of corrupt city officials. I could have done without a couple of boring lounge songs, but then you wouldn't get easy on the eyes, Connie Van Dyke. John Marley as an imprisoned mafia type adds considerably to what is already above average acting for an exploitation film. There are some nice car wrecks, including a train creaming a Chevy, and more than enough violence. Surprisingly there is no nudity, which seems inappropriate considering the intended audience. "Framed" is a good revenge flick, and is recommended. - MERK

FRAMED is an exceptional action film. Unfortunately it is not well-known, which is odd considering that it was directed by the great Phil Karlson, who also directed the previous year's WALKING TALL, which was a major hit that launched star Joe Don Baker's acting career.

Baker stars as Ron, a bar owner with a passion for gambling at poker. He's also passionate about his gorgeous girlfriend Susan (Conny Van Dyke), who sings frequently for his bar patrons. Ron scores big at a high stakes poker game, but his thrills are short-lived when, during his drive home that night, he witnesses a seemingly victimless shoot-out. When he arrives home, a sheriff's deputy accosts him in his garage and tries to arrest him without citing any charges. Ron and the deputy duke it out (a disturbing and exceptionally well-staged fight scene), leading to Ron being charged and convicted, not for the altercation with the deputy but for supposedly killing someone in the shoot-out he witnessed. Before he knows it, he's in prison, where he befriends a jailed mob boss (John Marley) and concocts his revenge strategy for when he gets out. Upon his eventual release, he sets out on his investigation, looking to uncover the truth about his wrongful conviction and punish those responsible.

Director Karlson, who was mostly known for his many outstanding film noir efforts (e.g. KANSAS CITY CONFIDENTIAL and THE PHENIX CITY STORY), directs this - his final film - with a tough, gritty edge. It's a neo-noir, to be sure, with a protagonist who is strong, intelligent and furious. Baker gives one of his finest performances, proving yet again that he could carry a film with his charisma, everyman qualities and undeniable acting skill. The movie's violence is graphic and hard-hitting, earning its R rating with ease, so fans of violent action cinema will likely derive much satisfaction from this one. If you gravitate toward movies of this type, you'll definitely want to seek out FRAMED.

Who knew that someone's hanging mashed-up ear could be so hypnotic. After "WALKING TALL", director (Phil Karlson), writer (Mort Brisken) and star actor would reunite again two years later for another beat 'em up, payback crime thriller "FRAMED". Stalwart star Joe Don Baker eases into the role before going on his dogged and calculative rampage. A Tennessee gambler who just happened to score big, later that night unwittingly kills a sheriff under unusual circumstances. His money disappears, it looks like the girlfriend stops caring and he has no choice but to take the plea deal. He spends four years in jail, before getting out on parole thanks to connections inside and returns to wreak havoc on those who framed him. The hard-nosed plot plays out in the same vein as "The Count of Monte Cristo" with pulp noir touches. The mystery of who's behind the corruption is no surprise for the viewer and it's never meant to be, but it's all about trying to unlock the truth of why the set-up. While it's not as action-packed, you do grit your teeth when it does come to blows by feeling the pain and enduring the sweat of some of these nasty encounters and ear splitting yelling. There are two memorable exchanges though that aren't violent, but it's the ballsy banter between Baker and H.B Haggerty that highly amuses. Then there's that train sequence.... wow! A great supporting ensemble cast and location shooting also add immensely to the hardy entertainment.