User reviews

Richard Widmark wants "A Prize of Gold" in this 1955 film that also stars Mai Zetterling and Nigel Patrick. Widmark plays American soldier Joe Lawrence, who is stationed in Berlin post-World War II. Joe is usually in some sort of trouble, but he has a marital indiscretion that he can hold over his commanding officer's head so that he looks the other way. Joe falls in love with Maria, a teacher in an orphanage (Zetterling). In order to get money to move the orphanage to Brazil, Maria has been cozying up to a wealthy benefactor. Jealous, Joe interferes and fights with the man, blowing the opportunity for Maria and the orphans sky-high. He promises Maria he will make it all right and therefore agrees to take part in a robbery of gold bullion that is to be transported. Things don't go as planned.

This is an okay movie, memorable because when Lucille Ball hid in Widmark's house during an "I Love Lucy" episode, this is the film he was promoting. It's not terribly impressive except for the Berlin locations. The film is shot in somewhat muted color. Mai Zetterling is very good; she was an actress with a wide range. Widmark does well in this roguish part, and Nigel Patrick turns in a strong performance as a sneaky accomplice.

Pretty run of the mill.

Richard Widmark gets to play a sympathetic role for once in this early heist thriller in which nearly ten years before producer Cubby Broccoli made 'Goldfinger' Widmark was already trading in Nazi gold in this smuggling yarn based on a novel by Max Catto to be cherished for the opportunity to see the likes of Mai Zetterling, Nigel Patrick at his most jauntily amoral, George Cole (speaking with an outrageous Scots accent), Donald Wolfit, Erich Pohlman and Olive Sloane in glorious Technicolor.

Boasting its own title song, with a score by Malcolm Arnold that's noisy even for him. Shot by future Bond cameraman Ted Moore it all looks terrific although the cute little red bubble car in which Widmark nips about Berlin is hardly 007's Aston Martin.

I suppose everyone makes at least one indie European flick during his career. Montgomery Clift made The Big Lift, Kirk Douglas made The Juggler, Burt Lancaster made The Leopard, and Richard Widmark made A Prize of Gold. The story is both common and fresh, and Dick adds great energy to the film, especially because he doesn't usually get to have a love interest. He plays an American soldier stationed in post-war Germany, and when he falls in love with Mai Zetterling, plans for his future change. Mai works in an orphanage, and she wants money enough to transport the kids to a safer country. Dick is poor, and her boss is wealthy; true love isn't enough to buy airfare.

So, Dick turns to a life of crime. It's very sad to see him turn to the dark side because of a woman (and does she even feel the same way, or is she playing him to get money?), especially since he's so conflicted about it. But he does a good job, and even though this movie feels distinctly indie and European, it is entertaining if you're a Widmark fan. Everyone else can probably skip it and just rent their favorite actor's European corresponding adventure.

Never viewed this Richard Widmark film and was very disappointed at the entire picture. In this picture Widmark plays the role as an Air Force Sgt Joe Lawrence who is stationed in Berlin and is eager to retire but he always manages to get himself into trouble. Joe leaves his jeep on a street and it gets stolen by a homeless young German boy who runs the jeep into a ditch and destroys the axle. Joe follows the boy to where he lives and meets up with a pretty blonde named Maria, (Mai Zetterling) and they both fall in love with each other. Joe becomes interested in making a quick buck by stealing some old Nazi precious goods and the story takes another twist and becomes very detailed and confusing.

Strong points of this film are scenes of Berlin, still showing signs of the war, and glimpses of London back streets in the mid-1950s, plus a strong cast, with Widmark, Patrick and Wolfit having the most striking screen presences.

APOG started off slowly, then became more interesting as the plot to steal the gold developed. But the last 30 minutes or so saw some implausibilities, not least in the actions of a couple of the characters, their changes of heart and the coincidental meeting right at the end.

This was part of Watwick deal with Columbis,where they made made films in the UK with an American star,normally in colour.This was one of their lesser films.There is a good cast,but sadly the film misfires.Part of the problem was the necessity to provide a happy ending.This requires some twists of the plot which are totally unbelievable.

A PRIZE OF GOLD is a typical British thriller/adventure of the 1950s, featuring imported Hollywood heavyweight Richard Widmark - one of the better stars of his era. It's set in occupied Germany, where Mai Zetterling is leading a troupe of orphaned kids in a bid to make a better world, but all of this gets sort of jettisoned about half an hour in when this becomes a men on a mission movie. Widmark has to assemble a team to steal a gold shipment, and the crime plays out in the last half an hour. Screen favourites like Eric Pohlmann, George Cole and Nigel Patrick prop up the cast, and although this film isn't very well known, it's quite enjoyable.

"A Prize of Gold" is a rather poor outing for Richard WIdmark...much of it because the basic plot of this story just doesn't make a lot of sense. It's a shame, as he was a fine actor....but even that couldn't save this one.

Widmark plays Sgt. Joe Lawrence, who works with the Air Police (the Air Force version of an MP) in post-war Berlin. For much of the film, he pursues a woman (Mai Zetterling) who doesn't seem super interested in him and instead is hanging around some unattractive guy. Well, Joe isn't the type to let a woman make her own choices and he drives the other guy away...only to learn that she was going to marry the guy in order to get money for the orphans. Joe feels bad about this and so he decides to mount a heist of some Nazi gold. Complications ensue.

Aside from the nonsensical plot, early in the film a 12 year-old steals and then badly damages a military jeep. Instead of Joe arresting the kid, he reports to his commander that HE broke the car and was responsible for this. Huh?? The bottom line is that the film sometimes makes little sense...and I was frustrated by this...and I am sure audiences of the day often felt much the same.

This Mark Robson's film produced in England is more European than American. Only Widmark brings the US touch. This is not a bad film though, just common, without any more ambition to entertain and bring something unusual. I can't say any harm about it, but nothing exciting either. What can I say? In terms of heist film, there were dozens of this kind better than this one, for instance THE DAY THEY ROBBED THE BANK OF ENGLAND, directed by John Guillermin and also starring an American actor - Aldo Ray - for this British film too. Both films, however, show some similarities. Same kind of ending for instance.

Richard Widmark was sometimes quite good in his more edgy, grittier parts - but shove him in an uniform and he is really just a pretty boy - like he is here. When a cache of gold is discovered by some remarkably honest folks dredging a river in Berlin, it is turned over to the joint British and American authorities and "Joe" (Widmark) is charged with shifting it. Meantime, he and his pal "Morris" (George Cole) have their jeep pinched by a youngster. Giving chase, he arrives at a bombed-out building being used as a makeshift orphanage by "Maria" (Mai Zetterling) and "Dr. Zachmann" (Karel Stepanek). He wants to help, and so with his pal and a pretty ruthless "Hammell" (Nigel Patrick) finds a way to divert the gold and... Donald Wolfit is quite effective as the pretty devious "Alfie", but the rest of this blurs a decent adventure caper with too much romance and Widmark really isn't on very good firm. The dialogue is wordy and rambling and though the ending is rather befitting - for Patrick anyway, it is all just a bit routine and humdrum.