Cage of Gold, an Ealing Studios drama from 1950 has been given the restoration treatment by StudioCanal. Deriving from a new 4K scan, the film has been released on Blu-Ray, as part of the Vintage Classics series.
Basil Dearden directed Cage of Gold. Jean Simmons stars as Judith Moray. She is an artist engaged to young doctor Alan Kearn (James Donald). But when dashing Bill Glennan (David Farrar), a former air force pilot with whom she had been in love as a girl during the war, walks back into her life, she cannot help but fall for him again. Alan is hurt but decent about her decision to pursue a romance with Bill.
When she discovers she is pregnant, Bill proposes marriage. On the morning of the wedding, her faithful old housekeeper Waddy (Gladys Henson) conveniently explains her position to us through some slightly clunky exposition. She questions Judith as to Bill’s motives in marrying her, reminding her that he is unaware that her family are no longer wealthy.
After the quiet marriage ceremony, Bill reveals that he was hoping to secure a loan from Judith’s father to invest in a moneymaking venture. The next morning, he is gone. Judith is distraught and turns to Alan for help.
Meanwhile, Bill is in France. He has associates there for whom he has previously smuggled cash across international borders. The singer at the titular club, Marie (Madeleine Lebeau), is in love with Bill. Her business partner Rahman (Herbert Lom) pays Bill for the use of his passport in another smuggling operation. When the plane goes down and the man using Bill’s name and passport is killed, news reaches Judith. She and Alan are free to marry and make a legitimate life together.
However, Bill cannot keep from trying the same con on another unsuspecting rich girl in Paris. Her father threatens Bill with the Police and he flees back to London. There he makes contact with Judith and suddenly the happy life she and Alan have built together with her son Nicky and Alan’s sweet father is blown apart.
Impressions…
The acting here follows the style of the time for film acting. Today it seems a little stilted, but there is still plenty of emotion and realism in the reactions of the characters. I found the three main characters very well drawn and the acting from the three leads was extremely effective.
Dialogue is used masterfully to move the story along without superfluous action. The running time is not stilted because Dearden makes sure that every scene is necessary, and only played to the length required to tell the story efficiently. Our energy as the audience is not wasted by lengthy exploratory scenes. Instead, every angle, every word and every expression is used to its utmost and allows us to invest in the characters fully. Interactions between characters still have enough room to breathe when required. But not a moment of Cage of Gold drags or feels drawn out.
The way shots are used makes sure that the skilful expressions of James Donald and Jean Simmons are fully accessible and understandable to the audience. They contribute a deeply compelling quality to the film. Their characters are so sympathetic. Clever angles and lighting are used to demonstrate the manipulative and self-interested nature of the character Bill.
It would be easy to dismiss such a film with its at-times delicate phrasing, its bias towards the upper class and its somewhat stereotypical treatment of lower-class and non-English characters. But the shortcomings of Cage of Gold are by no means the worst examples of these things I have seen in a film. And the film is a very enjoyable, entertaining and worthwhile piece of cinema despite them.
Picture and Sound
The film was made in black and white, and is presented in the original aspect ratio of 1.37:1. For a film of this age, it looks immaculate; The contrast and white balance perfectly set to ensure a clear image that preserves the integrity of the original photography.
I sometimes struggle to see the benefit of black and white photography in HD, but I felt it enhanced the experience in this case; particularly towards the end during scenes that featured extensive special effects. Seeing characters wade through thick film fog yet still distinguishable and clear was an added bonus, something which must have been a challenge when restoring this film.
The sound, mixing dialogue and music, has been restored to perfection on this disc. Most of the dialogue was audible, with a healthy balance that made the film easy to watch. I would imagine this was a mix between live dialogue and ADR, I barely noticed if it was.
Special Features
Considering the age of the film, it’s a wonder there are any special features at all. StudioCanal have made sure that there is at least one tiny bit of extra value in this package.
The first feature is a short 10 minute piece of Liz Tregenza discussing dress designer Frederick Stark, the man behind some of Jean Simmons’ outfits in the film. It is an interesting enough piece, especially if costume design is your thing, but would probably only serve one watch.
There are also a select few behind the scenes photographs, compiled into a gallery on the disc; These are nice to see. It’s a shame that this film doesn’t have the amount of special features expected of an Ealing film, but is completely understandable considering the underdog nature of it.
Conclusion
StudioCanal have put together a set which presents this underrated Ealing Production with an amazing transfer. It’s a gripping film with amazing performances from the cast, enhanced by the presentation. Well worth your time if you love vintage British crime drama.
Cage of Gold will be available to own on Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital from the 16th of September 2024.
Cage of Gold
