Cheap Plunder Road (Video) (Gene Raymond, Jeanne Cooper) (Hubert Cornfield) Price

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Customer Reviews of Plunder Road

Economy size
A capable caper film distinguished by expert performances from a veteran cast. Gene Raymond's turn as the world-weary ringleader is especially noteworthy and a long way from his sappy, lightweight roles of the 1930's. Authentic war hero Wayne Morris is a likable co-conspirator, but unfortunately just two years away from an untimely early death. Professional loser Elisha Cook's presence guarantees a bad end to the best laid plans, and though the movie as a whole doesn't disappoint, the budget appears to be in the neighborhood of $50 tops, as the getaway truck revolves endlessly around Griffith Park. Director Hubert Cornfield looks to be aiming at a breakthrough film on the order of Stanley Kubrick's remarkably successful caper film of the year before, The Killing, but doesn't get it. Plunder Road simply lacks the imagination and panache of its predecessor. Nevertheless the movie merits a look for its spartan virtues, expert pacing, and capable cast.

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A tense 'heist NOIR' that keeps you riveted
Well worth a look, 'PLUNDER ROAD' is a tense little crime film that, like so many others did, got lost among the bigger name thrillers of the period. But despite it's relative obscurity the film is a highly entertaining yarn involving a group of thieves attempting to get away with an elaborate gold heist, while facing slim odds. No big names to speak of, an ostensibly low budget, and a cheeky title (a Mitchum reference?) do nothing to diminish the impact of this scrappy little gem. Check it out.

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Super-economy thriller that delivers
The hard, slashing night rain in Plunder Road's first five minutes all but obscures our view of the lynchpin of the plot: the hijacking of a train for its cargo of gold bullion. The remainder of the film follows the hijackers along their various escape routes. (There are foreshadowing's of Goldfinger's Rolls Royce -- or echoes of Judy Holliday's Solid Gold Cadillac -- in the plot). Its no-frills narrative, poverty-row cast and spare economy of means make Plunder Road a surprisingly effective example of late noir.