Richard Baseheart never competed with such mega stars as Gregory Peck, Humphrey Bogart and John Wayne but kept more to himself concentrating on more complicated roles on a smaller scale, like a kind of understatement actor, but the result is that his roles are always interesting and intriguing. Here he is released from prison after fifteen years at the age of 29 and knows nothing about society. His only schooling in 15 years' imprisonment has been to handle tough guys and ruffians and a thorough knowledge of the criminal type. To get away from the stress and noise of Philadelphia, he heads for the country and finds a small friendly town where nothing ever happens, where he is employed as an assistant at a hospital. So far so good, but it is not. An old fellow gangster turns up in a dying state who has hidden a million away somewhere, and the fellow hoodlums he has fooled are after him, so he is not allowed to die in peace. Unfortunately Richard Baseheart is there, they recognise each other, and the case is cooked. From there on the strain and excitement of the thriller keeps constantly rising like a fever temperature, and a few dames get involved also. This is in many ways the perfect thriller, but Richard Baseheart's acting is what keeps it glowingly alive until it bursts into flames, and the finale is an ingenious climax of the composition.
Review of Outside the Wall
