Directed
by Hubert Cornfield with a screenplay by Steven Ritch (above left)
from his and Jack Charney's story, this crime gem was produced by
Regal Films and distributed by 20th Century Fox. Gene Raymond (above)
is the mastermind. He has never pulled off anything like this before.
But Raymond is the only one with a college degree, making him the
most highly qualified "heister" among the gang. The other
four men are from mixed backgrounds, with Wayne Morris and Elisha
Cook Jr. as the only seasoned criminals (below). The crooks divert
the approaching freight train to a siding after the train detonates
an explosive cap set on the rail. The engineer must stop the train. The tediously clever long-distance detonation, by tuning their truck's radio, spectacularly blows the boxcar open, carrying the
gold.
Their
story then unfolds over nine hundred miles, with Raymond not
confident everyone will make it. The gold is divided among three
trucks, each going different routes, leaving at precise intervals, as
devised by the college graduate. The guys patiently wait for their
departure time, just as the viewer has to patiently wait for what
comes next. An effective director’s device or not, it works. The
single driver, then the duo, eventually gets apprehended in simple, low-key fashion compared to the film’s complex opening. It
realistically captures how mundane the capture of these infallible
men can be. A brief, coded phone call to Raymond’s girlfriend,
Jeanne Cooper, tells her to expect them in Los Angeles. She has the
fake delivery papers and passports for their south-of-the-border escape.
Raymond,
Cooper, and Ritch—in a time-consuming, implausible feat—melt down
their remaining gold bars into bumpers and wheel covers to fancy up
their air-suspended Cadillac. Apparently, no concern about the tires
blowing out. They are feeling pretty smug. After a strong beginning
and middle section, the ending is certainly the film's weak point.
And a bit laughable. Making a getaway on a Los Angeles freeway at
rush hour was not as well planned as the train robbery. Then a simple
bumper bender brings over the police who notice a most unusual
Cadillac accessory—solid gold bumpers. The three, in typical
fashion of the era, run for it. From the overpass, Raymond decides to
jump onto an oncoming truck trailer on the highway below—something
else he had not done before. His parkour skills, not well polished,
set up one of those “whoa” moments. Desperation, thy name in
Raymond.
