The Secret of Convict Lake (1951)

In 1871 a convict escapes, with other prisoners, to kill the man that framed him, but has second thoughts after meeting the man's beautiful future wife.

Director:

Michael Gordon

Writers:

Anna Hunger (story), Jack Pollexfen (story),

Stars:

Glenn Ford, Gene Tierney, Ethel Barrymore

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Glenn Ford	...	Jim Canfield
Gene Tierney	...	Marcia Stoddard
Ethel Barrymore	...	Granny
Zachary Scott	...	Johnny Greer
Ann Dvorak	...	Rachel Schaeffer
Barbara Bates	...	Barbara Purcell
Cyril Cusack	...	Edward 'Limey' Cockerell
Richard Hylton	...	Clyde Maxwell
Helen Westcott	...	Susan Haggerty
Jeanette Nolan	...	Harriet Purcell
Ruth Donnelly	...	Mary Fancher
Harry Carter	...	Rudy Schaeffer

Storyline

Jim Canfield, convicted of a crime he did not commit, escapes a Nevada prison with several hardened criminals. He leads them to the small farming community home of the man who not only framed him, but committed the crime. But Jim's plans for revenge are put on hold when he discovers that the local men have all joined the posse in the convict's pursuit, leaving their women behind. He soon becomes attracted to the beautiful and resourceful Marcia, who turns out to be the fiance of the man who framed him. Can Jim protect the women from his less-civilized comrades, fall under Marcia's humanizing influence and still maintain his murderous resolve?

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Plot Keywords:

revenge | escaped convict

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Genres:

Western

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 September 1951 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

L'énigme du lac noir

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

83 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Dana Andrews and Linda Darnell were initially set to star.

User Reviews

Effective Western with a fine cast

In "The Secret of Convict Lake" danger looms in the winter of the 1870's when escaped prisoners hide out at a colony consisting mostly of women. There's enough drama to hold your interest as the ladies unleash some of their own frustrations as they contend with some slimey characters. Of course the "secret" is another matter which I won't reveal. The exceptional cast includes Glenn Ford, Gene Tierney, Ethel Barrymore, Zachary Scott, Ann Dvorak, Jeanette Nolan, Helen Westcott and Ruth Donnelly. There's also an impressive performance from Robert Hylton an actor with potential who should have had a bigger career in Hollywood.