House of Numbers (1957)

Sadly Over-hyped

Charming and brutal

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Gimmicky plot that doesn't work despite the key ingredients. In 1957, Jack Palance was one of the most interesting actors around. His skeletal face and intense manner looked nothing like the pretty boy stereotypes that dominated male leads of the day. So why does this opportunity to play dual roles fall as flat as it does. I'm not sure, but the uninspired pacing of director Russell Rouse fails to generate much needed excitement. Then too, the script is not just confusing but fails to present Palance with a clear concept that can be acted out with his usual intensity. Where there should be a contrast between the bad brother Arnie and the sympathetic brother Bill, Palance ends up playing both in a confusingly similar fashion. That sort of ambiguity may play well with art house audiences, but here it drains the film of much needed dramatic tension. Then too, Barbara Lang as the moll shows why it takes more than a shapely figure and a good dye job to make an actress, even in the Marilyn Monroe-driven 1950's.The film has two things going for it-- filming at unusual San Quentin locations, along with cult actor Timothy Carey in a brief but typically memorable role as Palance's cell mate. Note how real inmates (I think) try to get a moment of fame in the prison scenes, one of which apparently includes the actual mess hall. In a better film, these scenes would have contributed greatly, but here they simply pass without impact. One can only speculate as to the explosive potential of vintage Palance and the incorrigibly oddball Carey confined together in the same cell. Too bad, director Rouse and the writers didn't realize what they had. Just watch Carey's rolling eyes wheel away from whatever the mouth is saying as though they're hooked up to two unruly strangers. A potential clash between the exotics Palance and Carey would have created an exceptional moment for cult admirers everywhere.All in all, the slack direction and sloppy script sabotage what could have been a memorably offbeat B-film.

Poor film dealing with a brother's scheme to get out of jail. He changes places with his brother who looks like him.Jack Palance as always is intriguing. However, the problem here is that he has such poor written material to work with.Harold J. Stone comes off as a heavy as a prison guard who has larceny in his heart but has the tables turned on him.We see Palance as a sympathetic brother who helped the latter through college.The acting here is so stilted. Even the guy who is hijacked in his car comes off as totally unrealistic. How many times could he say: "Don't hurt me, I have a wife and kids."The ending where the brother turns on the other is not surprising but by this time you're so annoyed with the whole thing that you just don't care much anymore.

Jack Palance is dynamite in a duel role as good/bad brothers in this dated but interesting prison-break drama. Subtle makeup variations and changes in bearing and demeanor make him easily recognizable as either the junior or senior sibling, a phenomenon which, in itself, makes the film imminently watchable. Beautiful Barbara Lang is captivating as the bad bro's missus, delivering a portrayal that belies a blonde-bimbo first impression, and talented Harold J. Stone gives a bang-up performance as a prison guard/neighbor. Much of the movie is a character study involving the brothers and the wife, but the escape scheme and its implementation provide a low-key suspense seldom seen in modern films.

I have never seen the film , publicized, as a VHS release. Not only was Jack Palance the star, but he had a blonde as "Ruth" played by Barbara Lang. I know that she is a Broadway Bombshell and a striking clone to Marilyn Monroe. She was in movies such as " Hot Summer Night." Also according to information, on the website, she was known by credits to have starred in the 1985 film, " Weird Science" as Lucy. I would love to know more about her career and her mother was Maureen Knight (Silent Film Star). I even have a surprising collection of her publicity stills...what a mystery to some fans. Thanks for the great website. Kyle