CommentsXp Best movie ever!

Kirandeep Yoder The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

Rosie Searle 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.

Paynbob It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

secondtake House of Numbers (1957)This starts with a clunky, poorly written rush to fill us in on the situation--a brother in jail who needs help to escape. But hang in there. It gets better.The premise is clear early on—Jack Palance plays a man whose brother (also played by Palance) needs to get out of San Quentin. So they plan an escape that involves the first brother breaking into the prison. And so on. Cool stuff.And when it gets going, there is less talk and more action, and frankly Palance is a physically interesting actor (his delivery is always stiff). This is not a great classic by any stretch. Parts are almost filler—scenes from around the real San Quentin (one of the advertised perks of the movie). But there are also good suspenseful aspects watching this plan get underway. Whether it works, I'll not say. Both Palances are good enough to hold it together. The leading woman, trying painfully hard to be a kind of Marilyn, is a drag on the whole thing. A few side characters spice it up nicely. But mainly we have the plot, and the details as we see the clever and rather nutty idea get underway. The improbable daring of the events continues right to the end, with a final twist and "The End" hitting you quickly.The director, Russell Rouse, is obscure (he directed "New York Confidential," which is good), and he probably deserves a lot of blame here because the core idea of the movie is great. And Palance could have risen up a notch with some good leading. One aspect of Palance's performance that is great, for sure, is how he made the two brothers really seem like different characters. They aren't twins, and they look and act different. The music by the soon-to-be well known conductor, Andre Previn, is an example of orchestral excess—it made me even laugh once, with the crash of music for dramatic effect, though the composing has some new qualities that take it musically beyond the great Max Steiner.By half way through there was no way I was going to quit, so if you get into this for awhile you'll be hooked by at least the "what happens" part of it all, and by the location shooting and some good night stuff.

yenlo This was the very first motion picture I can remember seeing on television. It must have been in 59 or 60 on the old NBC Saturday Night at The Movies and I was either three or four. It has stuck with me all these years and I have never seen it since. I do remember the Jack Palance character attempting to switch places with his twin brother in California's San Quentin penitentiary and a washing machine agitator being used as some type of grappling hook device. I'd love to see it again after all these years.

sassa-5 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

bux Palance turns in tepid performances in a dual role, as two brothers, one trying to break the other out of San Quentin. The implausible plot drags to a weak conclusion. . . the only surprise is that this routine fare came from the pen of Jack (Invasion of the Body Snatchers) Finney.