Storyline

Sgt. Joe Lawrence is an American Army officer who falls in love with a refugee trying to raise enough money to move a group of German orphans to South America, where they can start life anew. Joe wants to help so he plans a daring robbery together with his buddies.

Plot Keywords

gold, kidnapping, british noir, robbery, germany, refugee, american abroad, nco, based on novel

Short Review

WARNING, CONTAINS SPOILERS: "A Prize of Gold" is a fast-paced, thriller starring Richard Widmark, about a heist that goes terribly wrong. It isn't as bleak as the masterpieces of the genre ("The Asphalt Jungle," "The Killing," and "The Odds Against Tomorrow"), but then it isn't meant to be. It's an exciting piece of 1950s escapism featuring a top notch cast, location footage (Berlin and London), Richard Widmark driving around in a Messerschmitt scooter, and a wonderfully romantic theme song by Joan Regan. The heist, and the series of unfortunate events that undermine it, is well-plotted and thoroughly believable. Widmark gives his usual excellent performance as an American Sgt. who gives in to temptation for all the right reasons... and the mostly British supporting cast create equally well-rounded characters. Nigel Patrick is the villain of the piece, but even his character's motivations are understandable. In fact the plot hinges upon the conflict between Patrick's ruthlessness and Widmark's underlying compassion (which is what ultimately proves to be their downfall). Believing that the pilot and two crew members of the hijacked plane have been killed, Widmark decides to return the stolen gold and accept whatever jail time is coming to him. Ironically, the ensuing fight brings about the only two deaths in the film (those of Patrick and Widmark's buddy played by George Cole). The film's only weak point is the romance between Widmark and Mai Zetterling (a school teacher protecting a group of war orphans who's willing to compromise her moral to get her children passage to South America). The trouble is that the romance isn't given the amount of time required for the audience to believe that Widmark would be willing to jeopardize his career/future to prevent Zetterling from continuing to prostitute herself to a building contractor who is promising her the transportation fare. They meet, he pretends to interview her, and they have one date (at least, that we are shown). Widmark's already been established as being something of a ladies' man, and there's no reason to think that this romance would mean anything more to him.Had Zetterling's character been more fully developed (she disappears after the first half hour, only to make a brief appearance at the end), this film might have rated five stars. As is, it's a fast-paced thriller with a good, and not too predictable, plot.

Trailer

Streaming Service

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