Crashout (1955)

The survivors of a prison break set out on an arduous journey to retrieve some loot.



Director: Lewis R. Foster
Cast: William Bendix, Arthur Kennedy, Luther Adler, William Talman, Gene Evans, Marshall Thompson, Beverly Michaels, Gloria Talbott, Adam Williams, Percy Helton, Melinda Markey, Christopher Olsen, Adele St. Mauer, Edward Clark, Tom Dugan, Morris Ankrum, Jack Carr, Bing Russell, Fred Sherman

IMDb

Convict Van Duff engineers a large-scale prison break; the six survivors hide out in a forgotten mine working near the prison, then set out on a long, dangerous journey by foot, car, train and truck to retrieve Duff's bank loot. En route, as they touch the lives of "regular folks," each has his own rendezvous with destiny.
~ Rod Crawford

One afternoon, a large number of prisoners at a Colorado prison riot and attempt to escape, but after fierce battles with the guards, thirty-eight of the men are killed or captured, while six remain at large. Led by the wounded Vance Morgan Duff, the men?Joe Quinn, Pete Mendoza, Luther "Swanee" Remsen, Maynard "Monk" Collins and Billy Lang?hide in a nearby cave. Although they lack food, Van insists that the men remain hidden for three days, until the area is no longer being searched. The men grow impatient, and the next morning, Van persuades them not to abandon him by promising to share the $180,000 he hid from his last bank robbery. That night, when Van's condition worsens, Joe calls Dr. Louis Barnes, who agrees to drive out to the gas station from which Joe is calling. Joe then kidnaps Barnes, taking him to the cave, where the anxious doctor operates on Van. In the morning, Van is sufficiently recovered to leave. Before he departs, Van, without consulting the others, orders Monk to kill Barnes, who has been tied up and left in the cave. While driving in Barnes's car, the convicts hear a radio report about his death, and an outraged Joe almost tosses Van from the speeding vehicle. Needing an inconspicious car, they stop at a roadhouse and there force the terrified customers to give them money, food and clothing. When two motorcycle policemen come by for a soda, the prisoners take cover and hold broken bottles at the throats of some of the customers to keep the others quiet. As Monk is bringing a new car around to the front of the roadhouse, one of the policemen returns, and Monk runs him over. The policeman manages to shoot and kill Pete but the others escape, and soon roadblocks have been set up throughout the state. When they reach a roadblock, the men abandon the car and hop aboard a passing train, on which Billy sits with a pretty young woman. The young woman, who is returning to her hometown, is attracted to the shy Billy, and as her stop approaches, Billy, sensing that he can trust her, asks her to hide him for a couple of days. The woman agrees, but when Billy disembarks, Van and the others follow, and Monk throws a knife into Billy's back, killing him. The remaining three prisoners tend to Van as they trek through the forest, until the next day, when they are found by Alice Mosher and her young son Timmy. The feisty Alice immediately recognizes the men and reluctantly acquiesces when they order her to lead them to her nearby farm. Once there, however, they discover that Alice's truck is missing a wheel, which is being repaired in town and will not be ready until the following day. The others force their way into the house and order Alice's mother, Mrs. Mosher, to cook for them, while Joe remains outside and assures Alice that if she cooperates, her family will not be harmed. The next morning, Alice and Joe walk into town to get the wheel, and Joe is intrigued by Alice's confession that Timmy is illegitimate. The couple discovers that they have much in common, including a fatalistic attitude toward their failed aspirations. When they reach town, they learn that the gas station's owner, Fred Summerfield, will be delivering the wheel that evening. As they walk home, Alice and Joe linger in a meadow and spontaneously kiss. Alice pushes Joe away, however, and states that she wants a more decent love than she has known before. Upon their return, they find Monk and Swanee fighting over money that Swanee stole from Mrs. Mosher. Joe calms the men down, and that night, is introduced to the inquistive Fred as Alice's cousin. When Mrs. Mosher, who is being held upstairs with Timmy, cries out to Fred for help, Van knocks him unconscious. While the others repair the truck, Joe promises Alice that they can start a new life after he has gotten his share of Van's loot. Alice demurs, however, declaring that money, like love, can be either dirty or clean, and that no good comes from the dirty kind. Fred frees himself from his bonds just as the convicts are leaving, and inadvertently kills Monk by hurling a kerosene lamp at him. Van, Swanee and Joe flee, and as they drive into the mountains, a fierce storm begins, and soon they can drive no farther. Protected by blankets, the men trudge through the blizzard until they reach the overhang where Van hid the money. Van gives Swanee a pistol and instructs him to shoot Joe, but Swanee, his mind unhinged by their harsh journey, shouts that Van is the devil and lunges toward him. Van shoots Swanee, after which Joe digs up the cash box. Van attempts to shoot Joe also, but discovers that he is out of ammunition and instead hits him over the head with the box. Van leaves the unconscious Joe for dead, but hours later, after the storm passes, Joe revives. As he is walking back to town, Joe finds Van, frozen to death and still clutching the cash box. Influenced by Alice's words, Joe leaves the money, and continues toward the oncoming police.

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