A Prize of Gold
Encyclopedia
A Prize of Gold is a British 1955
Warwick Films
heist film
directed by Mark Robson
partly filmed in West Berlin
. The film stars Richard Widmark
as a United States Air Force
Air Police Master Sergeant
motivated by love and compassion to begin a life of crime. It was based on the 1953 novel by Max Catto
.
shortly after the end of World War II
where he falls in love with Maria (Mai Zetterling
), a refugee.
Maria is trying to raise enough money to move a group of German orphans to South America, where they can start life anew. Joe wants to help her, and with his buddies British Corps of Military Police
Sergeant Roger Morris (George Cole
) and ex-RAF pilot Brian Hammell (Nigel Patrick
), Joe plans a daring robbery. A fortune in recently discovered gold bullion is being transferred to England
from Germany
via military transport, and the trio intend to hijack
the plane.
While the robbery goes off almost as planned, the three participants begin to have second thoughts about what to do with their ill-gotten gains.
Joan Regan
sings the title song.
1955 in film
The year 1955 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* November 3 - The musical Guys and Dolls, starring Marlon Brando and Frank Sinatra, debuts.* June 27 - The last ever Republic serial, King of the Carnival, is released....
Warwick Films
Warwick Films
Warwick Films was the name of a film company founded by film producers Irving Allen and Albert R. Broccoli in London in 1951. The name was taken from the Warwick Hotel in London...
heist film
Heist film
A heist film is a film that has an intricate plot woven around a group of people trying to steal something. Versions with dominant or prominent comic elements are often called caper movies. They could be described as the analogues of caper stories in film history...
directed by Mark Robson
Mark Robson
Mark Robson was a Canadian-born film editor, film director and producer in Hollywood.-Career:Born in Montreal, Quebec, he moved to the United States at a young age. He studied at the University of California, Los Angeles then found work in the prop department at 20th Century Fox studios...
partly filmed in West Berlin
West Berlin
West Berlin was a political exclave that existed between 1949 and 1990. It comprised the western regions of Berlin, which were bordered by East Berlin and parts of East Germany. West Berlin consisted of the American, British, and French occupation sectors, which had been established in 1945...
. The film stars Richard Widmark
Richard Widmark
Richard Weedt Widmark was an American film, stage and television actor.He was nominated for an Academy Award for his role as the villainous Tommy Udo in his debut film, Kiss of Death...
as a United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
Air Police Master Sergeant
Master Sergeant
A master sergeant is the military rank for a senior non-commissioned officer in some armed forces.-Israel Defense Forces:Rav samal rishoninsignia IDF...
motivated by love and compassion to begin a life of crime. It was based on the 1953 novel by Max Catto
Max Catto
Maxwell Jeffrey Catto was born Mark Finkell in Manchester, England and was an English playwright and novelist.-Writing career:...
.
Plot
Master Sergeant Joe Lawrence (Widmark) is stationed in BerlinBerlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
shortly after the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
where he falls in love with Maria (Mai Zetterling
Mai Zetterling
-Early life:Zetterling was born in Västerås, Västmanland, Sweden to a working class family. She started her career as an actress by the age of seventeen at Dramaten, the Swedish national theater, and appeared in war-era film starting in her teens.-Career:...
), a refugee.
Maria is trying to raise enough money to move a group of German orphans to South America, where they can start life anew. Joe wants to help her, and with his buddies British Corps of Military Police
Corps of Military Police
The Corps of Military Police is the military police of the Indian Army. In addition, the CMP is trained to handle prisoners of war and to regulate traffic, as well as to handle basic telecommunication equipment such as telephone exchanges...
Sergeant Roger Morris (George Cole
George Cole
George Edward Cole, OBE is a veteran British film and television actor whose successful career has spanned over 70 years in show business....
) and ex-RAF pilot Brian Hammell (Nigel Patrick
Nigel Patrick
Nigel Patrick was an English actor and stage director born into a theatrical family.-Biography:...
), Joe plans a daring robbery. A fortune in recently discovered gold bullion is being transferred to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
from Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
via military transport, and the trio intend to hijack
Aircraft hijacking
Aircraft hijacking is the unlawful seizure of an aircraft by an individual or a group. In most cases, the pilot is forced to fly according to the orders of the hijackers. Occasionally, however, the hijackers have flown the aircraft themselves, such as the September 11 attacks of 2001...
the plane.
While the robbery goes off almost as planned, the three participants begin to have second thoughts about what to do with their ill-gotten gains.
Cast
- Richard WidmarkRichard WidmarkRichard Weedt Widmark was an American film, stage and television actor.He was nominated for an Academy Award for his role as the villainous Tommy Udo in his debut film, Kiss of Death...
as Sergeant Joe Lawrence - Mai ZetterlingMai Zetterling-Early life:Zetterling was born in Västerås, Västmanland, Sweden to a working class family. She started her career as an actress by the age of seventeen at Dramaten, the Swedish national theater, and appeared in war-era film starting in her teens.-Career:...
as Maria - Nigel PatrickNigel PatrickNigel Patrick was an English actor and stage director born into a theatrical family.-Biography:...
as Brian Hammell - George Cole as Sergeant Roger Morris
- Donald WolfitDonald WolfitSir Donald Wolfit, KBE was a well-known English actor-manager.-Biography:Wolfit, who was "Woolfitt" at birth was born at New Balderton, near Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire and attended the Magnus Grammar School and made his stage début in 1920...
as Alfie Stratton - Joseph TomeltyJoseph TomeltyJoseph Tomelty was a Northern Irish character actor and playwright. He worked in film, television, radio and on the stage, starring in Sam Thompson's 1960 play Over the Bridge.-Early life:...
as Uncle Dan Watson - Andrew RayAndrew RayAndrew Ray was an English actor who was best known as a child star.He was born Andrew Olden , in North London, the son of the famous radio comic Ted Ray and his wife, showgirl Dorothy...
as Conrad - Karel StepanekKarel ŠtěpánekKarel Štěpánek was a Czech actor who spent many years in Austria and generally played German roles onscreen. In 1940 he fled to Britain and spent much of the rest of his career acting there.-Selected filmography:...
as Dr. Zachmann - Robert AyresRobert Ayres (actor)Robert Ayres was an American film, stage and television actor.-Selected filmography:* The Black Widow * Delayed Action * A Prize of Gold * It's Never Too Late...
as Tex - Eric PohlmannEric PohlmannEric Pohlmann was an Austrian theatre, film and television character actor.Born Erich Pollak in Vienna, Austria-Hungary, he was a classically trained actor who studied under the renowned director Max Reinhardt...
as Fischer - Olive SloaneOlive SloaneOlive Sloane was an English actress whose film career spanned over 40 years from the silent era through to her death...
as Mavis - Alan GiffordAlan Gifford-Selected filmography:* The Kangaroo Kid * A Yank in Ermine * The Flying Scot * Visa to Canton * Town Without Pity * Carry on Cowboy * Only When I Larf * Phase Four...
as Major Bracken - Ivan CraigIvan CraigIvan Craig was a British actor, the son of Dr. Eric S. Craig and Dorothy Gertrude Meldrum.From 1940 to 1945 he was married to Lillian Davies, later Princess Lilian of Sweden....
as British Major - Harry TowbHarry TowbHarry Towb was a Northern Irish actor.-Early life and career:Towb's father was Russian and his mother was Irish. He attended the Finiston School and Technical College, Belfast...
as Benny
Joan Regan
Joan Regan
Joan Regan is a traditional pop music singer from the UK, popular during the 1950s and early 1960s.-Biography:...
sings the title song.