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Second Chance (1953 film)
Encyclopedia
Second Chance is a 1953 American color film noir
, directed by Rudolph Maté
. The picture, shot on location in Mexico
in 3-Dimension
, features Robert Mitchum
, Linda Darnell
, and Jack Palance
. It is notable as the first RKO
film produced in 3-D.
The story tells of Russ Lambert (Robert Mitchum
), a prizefighter with a lethal right-handed punch, who through no fault of his own, killed a fighter in the ring. Since the fight his life has gone downhill.
(the exact country is never mentioned). Heading there as well is singer Clare Shepperd, using the alias Clare Sinclair (Linda Darnell
). She's running away as well—not from her memories—but from her boyfriend Vic Spilato, a vicious gangster who just had his bookkeeper Edward Dawson (Milburn Stone
) murdered and is under investigation by the U.S. Senate.
Lambert takes up fighting once again and, as he prepares to fight his south-of-the-border challenger named Rivera, Shepperd seeks out her boss, a bar owner named Felipe, and sells him a valuable pair of earrings. She then watches as Lambert wins the match.
Newly arrived to South America is Cappy Gordon (Jack Palance
), Spilato's cold-blooded button-man
looking for Clare. When he finds her he expresses his love and tells her that he'll spare her life if she runs off with him. Instead, Clare jets and heads for Felipe's bar. By threatening to expose Felipe to Cappy, Clare convinces him to persuade Lambert to meet her at the secluded Posado de Don Pascual. There, Clare encourages Lambert's romantic interest, but does not tell him about Cappy nor Spilato.
They take a tramway to La Cumbre, an isolated mountaintop village, and the couple enjoy a stroll through the town, unaware that Cappy knows their whereabouts. They watch a sexually provocative dance, performed by a young man and woman, whose older husband Vasco (Rodolfo Hoyos Jr.) drags her off in a jealous rage and kills her. Upset by the event, Clare and Lambert head toward the hotel where they spend the night, and in the moonlight, he kisses her. Lambert reveals that he's aware of Spilato and Clare confesses that she's attracted to him but isn't free of her past.
The climax of the movie takes place on an aerial cable car high above a deep abyss which malfunctions midway through its journey, threatening to send Lambert, Shepperd, and Gordon smashing into the rocks below.
, a prevalent cinema fad in the 1950s, and it featured their top stars. Bad guy Jack Palance is fresh from his critically well-regarded work on Shane (1953
). The picture is also the first Hollywood 3-D feature shot on a foreign location.
Critic Jeff Stafford believes the 3-D format was often unjustly maligned and in the early 1950s, was on the verge of "moving beyond the exploitable 'in your face' aspects" into more creative uses of the technology when the fad died. He makes the case that the final scenes of Second Chance were "much more intense in 3-D when the depth of field and spatial relationships create[d] a genuine sense of vertigo."
According to critic Bosley Crowther, the screenplay was inspired by an aerial tramway accident that occurred in Rio de Janeiro
circa 1951. Crowther wrote, "Except for one man being killed in an attempt to go for help via a rope and the slugging melee on the platform, this could almost be the Rio episode."
Filming locations
The film was shot entirely in Mexico, including: Cuernavaca, Morelos and Taxco, Guerrero.
, film critic for The New York Times
, was not impressed with the film's underlying story but was captured by the film's thrilling ending, writing, "The build-up to the aerial adventure is not only synthetic but slow...the development of a romance between Mr. Mitchum and Linda Darnell...is mechanical and routine. But once they get aboard that tramway—-Mr. Mitchum and Miss Darnell, coming down off the mountain and trailed by Mr. Palance—-the drama begins to crackle. And once that cable snaps, the picture becomes a welter of cliff-hanging terror and suspense. Every little movement of the tramway, hanging up there by a thread, causes the acrophobe to tremble. And there is plenty of movement, indeed."
The staff at Time
magazine, while calling 3-D "a novel gimmick" lauded the performance of Jack Palance, writing, "This man Palance keeps the show as well as Linda on the move. A rivet-eyed, onetime prelim fighter from the Pennsylvania coal country, Palance (né Palahnuik) [sic] gave terrifying performances in Shane (1953
) and Sudden Fear
, (1952
) has since become the hottest heavy in Hollywood. His face alone, as thin and cruel as a rust-pitted spade, is enough to-frighten a strong man; and to make matters worse, he seems to emit hostile energy, like something left overnight in a plutonium pile."
Film noir
Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s...
, directed by Rudolph Maté
Rudolph Maté
Born in Kraków , Maté started in the film business after his graduation from the University of Budapest. He went on to work as an assistant cameraman in Hungary and later throughout Europe, sometimes with noted colleague Karl Freund...
. The picture, shot on location in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
in 3-Dimension
3-D film
A 3-D film or S3D film is a motion picture that enhances the illusion of depth perception...
, features Robert Mitchum
Robert Mitchum
Robert Charles Durman Mitchum was an American film actor, author, composer and singer and is #23 on the American Film Institute's list of the greatest male American screen legends of all time...
, Linda Darnell
Linda Darnell
Linda Darnell was an American film actress.Darnell was a model as a child, and progressed to theater and film acting as an adolescent. At the encouragement of her mother, she made her first film in 1939, and appeared in supporting roles in big budget films for 20th Century Fox throughout the 1940s...
, and Jack Palance
Jack Palance
Jack Palance , was an American actor. During half a century of film and television appearances, Palance was nominated for three Academy Awards, all as Best Actor in a Supporting Role, winning in 1991 for his role in City Slickers.-Early life:Palance, one of five children, was born Volodymyr...
. It is notable as the first RKO
RKO Pictures
RKO Pictures is an American film production and distribution company. As RKO Radio Pictures Inc., it was one of the Big Five studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orpheum theater chains and Joseph P...
film produced in 3-D.
The story tells of Russ Lambert (Robert Mitchum
Robert Mitchum
Robert Charles Durman Mitchum was an American film actor, author, composer and singer and is #23 on the American Film Institute's list of the greatest male American screen legends of all time...
), a prizefighter with a lethal right-handed punch, who through no fault of his own, killed a fighter in the ring. Since the fight his life has gone downhill.
Plot
To forget the tragedy Lambert heads to South AmericaSouth America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
(the exact country is never mentioned). Heading there as well is singer Clare Shepperd, using the alias Clare Sinclair (Linda Darnell
Linda Darnell
Linda Darnell was an American film actress.Darnell was a model as a child, and progressed to theater and film acting as an adolescent. At the encouragement of her mother, she made her first film in 1939, and appeared in supporting roles in big budget films for 20th Century Fox throughout the 1940s...
). She's running away as well—not from her memories—but from her boyfriend Vic Spilato, a vicious gangster who just had his bookkeeper Edward Dawson (Milburn Stone
Milburn Stone
Milburn Stone was an American television actor, a nephew of Broadway comedian Fred Stone and the son of a shopkeeper, best known for his role as "Doc" on the CBS western series Gunsmoke. He also played a doctor, CDR Blake, in the 1943 film Gung Ho!.Stone was born in Burrton in Harvey County in...
) murdered and is under investigation by the U.S. Senate.
Lambert takes up fighting once again and, as he prepares to fight his south-of-the-border challenger named Rivera, Shepperd seeks out her boss, a bar owner named Felipe, and sells him a valuable pair of earrings. She then watches as Lambert wins the match.
Newly arrived to South America is Cappy Gordon (Jack Palance
Jack Palance
Jack Palance , was an American actor. During half a century of film and television appearances, Palance was nominated for three Academy Awards, all as Best Actor in a Supporting Role, winning in 1991 for his role in City Slickers.-Early life:Palance, one of five children, was born Volodymyr...
), Spilato's cold-blooded button-man
Contract killing
Contract killing is a form of murder, in which one party hires another party to kill a target individual or group of people. It involves an illegal agreement between two parties in which one party agrees to kill the target in exchange for consideration, monetary, or otherwise. The hiring party may...
looking for Clare. When he finds her he expresses his love and tells her that he'll spare her life if she runs off with him. Instead, Clare jets and heads for Felipe's bar. By threatening to expose Felipe to Cappy, Clare convinces him to persuade Lambert to meet her at the secluded Posado de Don Pascual. There, Clare encourages Lambert's romantic interest, but does not tell him about Cappy nor Spilato.
They take a tramway to La Cumbre, an isolated mountaintop village, and the couple enjoy a stroll through the town, unaware that Cappy knows their whereabouts. They watch a sexually provocative dance, performed by a young man and woman, whose older husband Vasco (Rodolfo Hoyos Jr.) drags her off in a jealous rage and kills her. Upset by the event, Clare and Lambert head toward the hotel where they spend the night, and in the moonlight, he kisses her. Lambert reveals that he's aware of Spilato and Clare confesses that she's attracted to him but isn't free of her past.
The climax of the movie takes place on an aerial cable car high above a deep abyss which malfunctions midway through its journey, threatening to send Lambert, Shepperd, and Gordon smashing into the rocks below.
Cast
- Robert MitchumRobert MitchumRobert Charles Durman Mitchum was an American film actor, author, composer and singer and is #23 on the American Film Institute's list of the greatest male American screen legends of all time...
as Russ Lambert - Linda DarnellLinda DarnellLinda Darnell was an American film actress.Darnell was a model as a child, and progressed to theater and film acting as an adolescent. At the encouragement of her mother, she made her first film in 1939, and appeared in supporting roles in big budget films for 20th Century Fox throughout the 1940s...
as Clare Shepperd, alias Clare Sinclair - Jack PalanceJack PalanceJack Palance , was an American actor. During half a century of film and television appearances, Palance was nominated for three Academy Awards, all as Best Actor in a Supporting Role, winning in 1991 for his role in City Slickers.-Early life:Palance, one of five children, was born Volodymyr...
as Cappy Gordon, alias Cappy Walters - Roy RobertsRoy RobertsRoy Roberts was an American character actor. Over his more than 40-year career, he appeared in more than nine hundred productions on stage and screen.-Biography:...
as Charley Malloy - Dan SeymourDan SeymourDan Seymour was a character actor who frequently played villains in Warner Bros. films. He appeared in several Humphrey Bogart films, including Casablanca, Key Largo, and To Have and Have Not....
as Felipe, manager of bar - Fortunio BonanovaFortunio BonanovaFortunio Bonanova is the pseudonym of Josep Lluís Moll , who was a baritone singer and a film, theater, and television actor...
as Mandy, hotel owner - Sandro Giglio as Cable Car Conductor
- Reginald SheffieldReginald SheffieldReginald Sheffield was an English-born actor.He was born as Matthew Reginald Sheffield Cassan in the St. George Hanover Square District of Surrey near London, to Matthew Sheffield Cassan and Alice Mary Field...
as Mr. Woburn, English tourist - Margaret Brewster as Mrs. Woburn, English tourist
- Rodolfo Hoyos Jr. as Vasco, murderous husband
- Richard Vera as Pablo, Vasco's son
- Maurice Jara as Fernando, groom
- Judy Walsh as Maria, bride
- Salvador Baguez as Officer Hernandez
- Milburn StoneMilburn StoneMilburn Stone was an American television actor, a nephew of Broadway comedian Fred Stone and the son of a shopkeeper, best known for his role as "Doc" on the CBS western series Gunsmoke. He also played a doctor, CDR Blake, in the 1943 film Gung Ho!.Stone was born in Burrton in Harvey County in...
as Edward Dawson, Vic Spilato's bookkeeper - Abel Fernández as Rivera, as fighter in bullring
Background
Second Chance is RKO Radio's first foray into the world of 3-D film3-D film
A 3-D film or S3D film is a motion picture that enhances the illusion of depth perception...
, a prevalent cinema fad in the 1950s, and it featured their top stars. Bad guy Jack Palance is fresh from his critically well-regarded work on Shane (1953
1953 in film
The year 1953 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*September 16 — The Robe debuts as the first anamorphic, widescreen CinemaScope film.-Top grossing films : After theatrical re-issue- Awards :Academy Awards:A...
). The picture is also the first Hollywood 3-D feature shot on a foreign location.
Critic Jeff Stafford believes the 3-D format was often unjustly maligned and in the early 1950s, was on the verge of "moving beyond the exploitable 'in your face' aspects" into more creative uses of the technology when the fad died. He makes the case that the final scenes of Second Chance were "much more intense in 3-D when the depth of field and spatial relationships create[d] a genuine sense of vertigo."
According to critic Bosley Crowther, the screenplay was inspired by an aerial tramway accident that occurred in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
circa 1951. Crowther wrote, "Except for one man being killed in an attempt to go for help via a rope and the slugging melee on the platform, this could almost be the Rio episode."
Filming locations
The film was shot entirely in Mexico, including: Cuernavaca, Morelos and Taxco, Guerrero.
Critical reception
Bosley CrowtherBosley Crowther
Bosley Crowther was a journalist and author who was film critic for The New York Times for 27 years. His reviews and articles helped shape the careers of actors, directors and screenwriters, though his reviews, at times, were unnecessarily mean...
, film critic for The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, was not impressed with the film's underlying story but was captured by the film's thrilling ending, writing, "The build-up to the aerial adventure is not only synthetic but slow...the development of a romance between Mr. Mitchum and Linda Darnell...is mechanical and routine. But once they get aboard that tramway—-Mr. Mitchum and Miss Darnell, coming down off the mountain and trailed by Mr. Palance—-the drama begins to crackle. And once that cable snaps, the picture becomes a welter of cliff-hanging terror and suspense. Every little movement of the tramway, hanging up there by a thread, causes the acrophobe to tremble. And there is plenty of movement, indeed."
The staff at Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine, while calling 3-D "a novel gimmick" lauded the performance of Jack Palance, writing, "This man Palance keeps the show as well as Linda on the move. A rivet-eyed, onetime prelim fighter from the Pennsylvania coal country, Palance (né Palahnuik) [sic] gave terrifying performances in Shane (1953
1953 in film
The year 1953 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*September 16 — The Robe debuts as the first anamorphic, widescreen CinemaScope film.-Top grossing films : After theatrical re-issue- Awards :Academy Awards:A...
) and Sudden Fear
Sudden Fear
Sudden Fear is a 1952 RKO Radio Pictures feature film starring Joan Crawford and Jack Palance in a noir-ish tale about a successful woman who marries a murderous man. The screenplay by Lenore J. Coffee and Robert Smith was based upon the novel by Edna Sherry. Sudden Fear was directed by David...
, (1952
1952 in film
The year 1952 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* January 10 - Cecil B. DeMille's circus epic, The Greatest Show on Earth, premieres at Radio City Music Hall in New York City....
) has since become the hottest heavy in Hollywood. His face alone, as thin and cruel as a rust-pitted spade, is enough to-frighten a strong man; and to make matters worse, he seems to emit hostile energy, like something left overnight in a plutonium pile."
External links
- Second Chance film trailer at Turner Movie Classics