Storyline

A small busload of passengers, which includes an escaped female convict and the lawman who has re-captured her, gets stuck in a heavy snowfall. The driver and passengers take refuge in a church building, but they quickly find out that they are not alone, as another man has already taken refuge there with a stock of food. His confrontational attitude towards the newcomers quickly complicates the already strained relationships amongst the stranded passengers.—Snow Leopard

Plot Keywords

detective, prisoner, fugitive, wealthy man, bus driver, teen girl, tense, fiery, melodramatic, sierra nevada mountains, bus, abandoned church, survival, escaped criminals, blizzard, partnership, moral dilemma, new love, escape, sacrifice, 1920s

Short Review

I was delighted to find High Voltage streaming on Amazon, after seeing a photograph of Lombard and Ellis together, taken during the filming. The movie has a very similar set up to Tarantino's The Hateful Eight (2015): a group of people, including the law & his female criminal, traveling in the American west, take refuge in a secluded one-room building during a blizzard, with another criminal already there. How the inhabitants behave, however, is quite dissimilar, as are the "morals" of the stories, so to speak. For a pre-Code film, High Voltage is ultimately pretty square. I enjoyed both films, both of which would make great plays. (Apparently Tarantino is working on the adaptation of his.)

Trailer

Streaming Service

1. Amazon Video : Rent from $1.99, Or $0.00 with a Prime membership