Search - Man in the Vault on DVD

A reasonably-good crime thriller

Byron Kolln | the corner where Broadway meets Hollywood | 09/30/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"MAN IN THE VAULT, produced by John Wayne's Batjac production company, is a well-paced and impressively-cast crime thriller, which reunited "High and the Mighty" co-stars William Campbell and Karen Sharpe.

Tommy Dancer (William Campbell) is an unemployed professional locksmith, forced into assisting a daring bank raid, after his girlfriend Betty (Karen Sharpe), a feisty society debutante, is swept up into the plot.

Filled with some great performances, MAN IN THE VAULT is an enjoyable excursion into a shady world of corruption and greed, and never wears out it's brisk 70-minute running time. Both William Campbell and Karen Sharpe are attractive and well-used in the leads; with Anita Ekberg, Paul Fix and Barry Kroeger in strong supporting roles."

Fairly Interesting Drama

gobirds2 | New England | 06/29/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"MAN IN THE VAULT is a fairly interesting drama about a locksmith (William Campbell) who unwittingly becomes involved in a plan of local mobster (Berry Kroeger) to steal a cash of money from a bank safe deposit box. Campbell is reluctant to get involved in the scheme until Kroeger holds Cambell's girlfriend (Karen Sharpe) forcing him to cooperate. Andrew V. McLaglen directed this taut little film from a compact script by Burt Kennedy. William H. Clothier's excellent black & white photography gives the film a much needed film noir look. The highlight of the film is Campbell's suspenseful venture into the vault to make copies of the keys of the safe deposit box holding the cash in broad daylight. Anita Ekberg gives the film a little glamour as a girlfriend to one of Kroeger's gaggle of shady associates. Campbell is adequate as the leading man and gives a straightforward performance though his approach is rather juvenile at times. On the whole, MAN IN THE VAULT is a bit routine yet manages to remain somewhat appealing throughout.

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Empty Vault

hille2000 | USA | 07/03/2006

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Good intentions aside, MAN IN THE VAULT is mediocre at best. Unfortunately, William Campbell is not leading man material. This early effort from director Andrew V. McLaglen (THE DEVIL'S BRIGADE) and Burt Kennedy (RETURN OF THE SEVEN) is strictly of interest from a historical cinematic perspective. The script is adequate but the inclusion of Anita Ekberg and Paul Fix (THE SEA CHASE) to the cast adds nothing to possibilities of something of more substance. Cinematography by William Clothier (TRACK OF THE CAT) is one of the film's high points, especially the downtown location photography.
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Imaginative Labors

Alamo_guy | 07/11/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Despite an uninteresting cast, the scriptwriter and director make this movie a very inspired effort. I did wonder about Anita Ekberg's role. Her role is rather shallow and ambiguous not to mention confusing. I am a little confounded as to what her character actually had to do with the plot. Bill Campbell, on the other hand, has the great screen impact of a Robert Mitchum or Robert Ryan. Too bad it all didn't work. This film could have been a success.
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