CAGE OF EVIL (1960)

One cannot assess lesser-known films fairly without understanding the era in which they were produced. This film could easily be dismissed as a cheap production simply because it is old and stars B-movie actors. While that is true, this is better than some might give credit. There are no surprises and the ending is an oft-used premise. Yet Zenith Pictures pulls together a fairly plausible story with enough suspense to keep you locked in. Introduced in documentary style, it is told through the eyes of a police lieutenant, played by John Maxwell (below right with Foster). He tells of the last assignment of a young, ambitious officer with a short future in the department. Maxwell’s high register, lackadaisical vocal narration would have been better suited for a lighthearted travelogue film.

Ron Foster stars in another Robert Kent Production, again with co-star, Harp McGuire. Foster is competent in this role coming from a wealth of experience in television dramas. This is one in only a handful of films for him. He is an officer who feels he is routinely being passed over for promotion. An officer with good intentions but goes afoul over Patricia Blair, the girlfriend of a diamond thief. She is, shall we say, well known in the underworld. Foster is assigned to shadow her in order to gain her confidence. Blair becomes temptation personified and holds the key to the cage in which they will soon find themselves. The two fall into a scheme to remove her boyfriend's future then fly to Mexico with stolen jewels. No one ever goes to Minnesota. Around every deceitful turn, they plunge deeper into futility and the viewer will not be surprised by any of it. The film ends in a shootout as the couple climbs higher and higher on the oft-used stairway to nowhere.

Note: Distributed by United Artists, the film was produced by Edward Small and Robert Kent, both adept at turning out decent crime dramas on a shoestring budget. The screenplay is by Orville Hampton based on his story and Alexander Richards. The title film score does not fit this movie, sounding more like a light comedy that might include dance numbers. Paul Sawtell did fine work, but Dimitri Tiomkin is what you want here. Look for young, future TV stars, Ted Knight and Henry Darrow near the end.