Second Chance-1953-Robert Mitchum-Jack Palance and Linda Darnell

Rudolph Mate directs a film originally made in 3-D, that is filmed in a beautifully gaudy pastel-shaded Technicolor. It's an enjoyable thriller that is told in a straight-forward manner, with no deeper meaning intended than the knowledge gained that life offers second chances. Both the suspenseful story and the charismatic acting by the trio of sneering villain Jack Palance and sexy stars Robert Mitchum and Linda Darnell, held this viewer's interest.

Even without its 3D/stereophonic sound gimmickry, Second Chance is a crackling good suspenser. Robert Mitchum plays Russ Lambert, a prizefighter who heads to South America to forget a recent tragedy in the ring. Here he meets Clare Shepard (Linda Darnell), who is likewise running away -- not from her bitter memories, but from her boyfriend, a vicious gangster. Also newly arrived in South America is Cappy Gordon (Jack Palance), the cold-blooded triggerman for Clare's ex-beau. After several close calls and near-misses, the three main characters converge in a disabled cable car, high above a deep abyss. Filmed on location at RKO Radio's Mexican facilities, Second Chance takes a while getting started, then rapidly builds to a heart-pounding finale