Inspired by all the wonderful reviews on this site, I actually bought the CD, especially because of the wonderful cast - primarily William Bendix and Arthur Kennedy, but also a host of character actors we recognize but to whom it is difficult to attach faces, i.e William Talman (the hapless D.A. on Perry Mason), Gene Evans, Marshall Thompson, and Luther Adler. Despite all the plaudits here, the film, despite its attempts to capture the flavor of noir, descends into rote formulas and plot clichés. The fault is not with the actors, who all do well, but with the script. Credibility is stretched beyond the breaking point. No woman held hostage, with son in tow, by a group of thugs could ever realistically be expected to develop a romantic attachment with one them on a side trip while her son was being held by the others, especially when that side trip is a blatant plot device for exactly that purpose. Arthur Kennedy is one of my favorite actors and he does his best here with what he is given, but this potboiler should be avoided.

A group of escaped convicts hide out in a wet cave waiting for the search for them to slow down. The ailing leader of the escape (William Bendix) is on the verge of death, and the poor doctor (Percy Helton) who is called to help them at gunpoint will find that he won't be allowed to tell what he knows. A few of the escapees seem to have a major love of carnage, and Bendix has a sadistic streak that won't even allow one of the younger members of the party (Marshall Thompson) go off with a young girl (Gloria Talbott) he meets on a train. When they hide out in the farmhouse of Beverly Michaels (a tough "B" girl giving her most versatile performance here), the compassion of one of them (the brilliant Arthur Kennedy) is revealed. Michaels plays a farm-bread girl who obviously tried the big city, became a victim to it, and returned home older, wiser, and sadder. Christopher Olsen is good as her illegitimate son who doesn't understand what's going on but shows deep courage anyway.This is one of those enjoyable yet far-fetched stories of crime that wasn't quite film noir but played like it on the surface. The characters are fascinating, if somewhat one-dimensional to watch, and William Bendix chews up the scenery as if it was steak. Acting honors go to Kennedy who makes his criminal character quite likable in spite of his past. Luther Adler, William Talman and Gene Evans also deliver exciting performances. The film is fast-moving, tightly edited, and filled with some shocking moments, one of them involving a man on fire. The ending is filled with irony and makes up for the film's over-all clichés.

***SPOILERS*** Overlooked prison escape drama with six convicts , out of some 50, escaping in a major break-out of a Southwestern prison and little by little doing the job, by killing or having themselves killed, that the pressuring police and state troopers have in store for them. Lead by the brutal Van Duff, William Bendix, who was seriously injured during the escape the six wanted men plan to make their way to the snow capped Rocky Mountians where he had previously stashed some $180,000.00 of stolen loot. With so much money on the line the six escaped convicts end up murdering kidnapping and assaulting a number of innocent people on their way to find the $180,000.00 pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.Murdering and kidnapping their way to the stashed money all but one of the escaped convicts bank embezzler Joe Quinn, Arthur Kennedy, survived to keep it only to end up being caught by the state troopers and put back behind bars before he could spend and enjoy it. The movie showed just what greed can do to those infected by it which caused the six escaped convict to self destruct before the film was finally over. And their flight to money and freedom turned out to be a very brief one for them. And far less satisfying then what they were facing behind prison bars. Check out a very young innocent and sexy Gloria Talbot as the girl on the train. Gloria struck up a friendly conversation with escaped convict Billy Lang, Marshall Thompson, who fell in love with her and was going to quit running from the law. Billy ended up murdered by fellow escapee religious fanatic Swanee Remmsen, William Tallman, with a knife in his back. Swanee a convicted murderer despite in his keeping with the biblical ten commands didn't quite observe the one that said "Thou Shall not Kill".

Crashout gets to the point quickly. A story of desperate escapees making their way out of the abyss. William Bendix gives a "close to the bone" portrayal of a desperate man who escapes prison with a motley crew.Nothing in this story comes easy. The six escapees work their way through several states by the skin of their teeth. On the other side is a split of a big pay day, but that pay day is way away buried in some of the most inhospitable territory imaginable. The common denominator is the promise of a huge buried payout. That's the story of Crashout. It's no easy road to glory for the cons, in the ensuing journey they cross paths with some unwitting characters. A journey of attrition whereby along the way not only does a possible love story evolve, but a the deaths of all but two remaining cons. The path to the big pay day is anything but a simple story. This is where Crashout rises above it's "B Movie" roots. Bendix give his usual colorful performance, but this time as a star front and center. The story suits his skills well.The end is a heartless reckoning. A sort of good trumps bad, but there is an opening. The character of "Joe" played by the great Arthur Kennedy may or may not be the last man standing. Does he have the buried fortune? Probably not, but if he survives he may actually have gained much more than the 180 grand. This is a really tasty slice of film noir. It grabs the viewer early on and doesn't let go. Your're in for the ride. It's especially gritty and dark for the day in which it was filmed. It has a buried heart which all humanity can connect to. Basically hopeless, Crashout still has something that one can grab on to and in that it keeps the viewer invested. Great "B-Movie" film noir and as such recommended viewing for those to whom this stuff speaks.