Cage of Gold (1950)

Ealing Equals Quality. Basil Dearden does it again with depressing noir ahead of its time. Like Pool Of London, it bravely broaches taboos ten or more years before most film-makers.

I am so used to seeing David Farrar as an army or police officer that it was quite a shock to see him as a rather nasty blackmailer and smuggler.Though clearly Jean Simmons prefers him to the rather more sober and down to earth James Donald.However Farrar runs off to Paris as he doesn't want a quiet married life and his wife is not able to support him in the manner to which he is accustomed.From then on the story is fairly familiar territory.It is entertaining but utterly predictable.Much of the climatic action takes place in a pea souper in London,the type of which used to kill thousands of people over the years.In fact given the uncertainty of the murderer before the end you might have guessed that the fog killed him!

This type of meller was very much the staple fare in the British film industry in the immediate post-war years and into the early fifties. Not too much wrong with that if you like formulaic plots of the kind you would find in the 'Women's' magazines of the day. This is the one about the charming con man and the choices that people make in life. Heroine Jean Simmons is faced with choosing between the dashing, charming, rake, David Farrar, who lives off his wits and women though not necessarily in that order, and dull as a wet Thursday in Scunthorpe James Donald who offers security - he's a doctor - and Ovaltine at bedtime, whilst Donald himself has the choice of Mayfair money for doling out placebos to hypochondriacs or joining his father as a local GP serving the community. It's hokum, of course but everyone gives it their best shot and in addition to the leading trio we get the likes of Bernard Lee, Herbert Lom, Harcourt Williams, Gladys Henson, Gregoire Aslan and Madeleine Lebau. Worth a look.

I gave this film a maximum rating of 10 as I was shocked it only had a rating of 5.2 on IMDb.com.and considered the rating needed lifting.I saw this film tonight on Youtube.com and was amazed I had not seen it before.The beautiful Jean Simmons plays the heroine wife to dastardly cad David Farrar who is just out to milk his girlfriends of money to finance a speculative new helicopter business investment.I could not divorce from my mind David playing the wicked squire Jack Reddin in "Gone to Earth" (G.T.E.)1949 opposite the very beautiful Jennifer Jones, and comparing James Donald playing the boring doctor in the subject film to Cyril Cusack playing the upright moral reverend Marston in G.T.E.It was almost a revision of the same plot 50 years on from G.T.E.The previous reviewer has outlined adequately the basic plot and principal actors in roles better known to regular filmgoers so I will not dwell further on that.I collect as many Jean Simmons/Jennifer Jones/Hedy Lamarr/Ava Gardner & Vivien Leigh films as I can - as you can see I rave over beautiful dark 1940s brunette film actresses - (I have every film Jennifer Jones my especial favourite, made).It was a pleasure to see an experienced producer Michael Balcon, director Basil Deardon and experienced cast all of whom were known to me from other 1940/50s films of the period.Being 65 I can clearly remember the London fog "peasoupers" of the early 1950s.It makes me feel almost wistful for those far off days.Unlike G.T.E.however the brunette heroine survives and we get a happy ending!