I Died a Thousand Times

Unrated

11/9/19551h 49m

Theatrical Release (US)

~ The Story Behind The Terrifying 60-Day Hunt For Desperado 'Mad-Dog' Earle! ~

Overview:

After aging criminal Roy Earle is released from prison he decides to pull one last heist before retiring — by robbing a resort hotel.

Director:

Stuart Heisler

Status:

Released

Language:

English

Buget:

$0.00

Revenue:

$0.00

Key words:

film noir
on the run
dog
attempted robbery

Cast

Jack Palance

~ as ~

Roy Earle / Roy Collins

Shelley Winters

~ as ~

Marie Garson

Lori Nelson

~ as ~

Velma

Lee Marvin

~ as ~

Babe Kossuck

Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalez

~ as ~

Chico

Lon Chaney Jr.

~ as ~

Big Mac

Earl Holliman

~ as ~

Red

Perry Lopez

~ as ~

Louis Mendoza

Richard Davalos

~ as ~

Lon Preisser

Howard St. John

~ as ~

Doc Banton

View full cast & crew

Reviews (1)

John Chard
Written 6 year(s) ago
7.5
Famed Bandit, Former No 1 On FBI List, Pardoned After Eight Years.

I Died a Thousand Times is directed by Stuart Heisler and adapted to screenplay by W.R. Burnett from his own novel High Sierrra. It stars Jack Palance, Shelley Winters, Lori Nelson, Lee Marvin, Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalez, Lon Chaney Junior and Earl Holliman. A CinemaScope/Warnercolor production, cinematography is by Ted McCord and music by David Buttolph.

It will always be debatable if remaking the excellent High Sierra (Raoul Walsh 1941) was needed or wanted by a 1950s audience? Especially since Walsh had himself already remade it as a great Western with 1949 film Colorado Territory, but taken on its own terms, with great production value and Burnett's personal adaptation taken into consideration, it's a very enjoyable film.

Set up is simple, it's one last heist for Roy "Mad Dog" Earle (Palance) before going straight, but as his attempts to break free from his emotional loner status fall apart, so does the heist and his future is written in blood right up there in the mountains. Heisler and Burnett put Earle up front for character inspection, easing in sympathetic tones whilst ensuring he remains a big physical threat. The air of fatalism is pungent enough and the finale is excitingly staged by Heisler. Cast performances are more than adequate if not comparing to the likes of Bogart and Lupino, while the Warnercolor is gorgeous and the photography around the Alabama Hills in Lone Pine is superb.

While not in the same league as High Sierra or Colorado Territory, that doesn't mean this is a wash out, more so if you haven't seen either of the Walsh movies. If you have, like me (High Sierra is one of my favourite Bogart performances), then comparisons and a feeling of deja vu will obviously infiltrate your viewing experience. That said, there is more than enough here to make it worth your time regardless of comparison and familiarities. 7/10