Cage of Gold

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "Cage of Gold is an unpretentious film, content to rely on its qualities as an absorbing story. That these are insufficient is the reason for its failure. It is indeed difficult to imagine just where the script writer imagined the chief interest of his narrative to lie; it is in no sense a study of character; the story develops extremely conventionally until the quite ingeniously staged murder; and the final mystery is no sooner propounded than it is (none too satisfactorily) cleared away. Basil Dearden has realised this abortive subject with his usual adroitmess, creating at moments at least the illusion of tension; too often, though, he carries his partiality for the shock cut, the vivid effect, into the region of self-caricature."^[5]

The reviewer for The Times wrote: "Ealing Studios normally know what they are about, and, in an admirably objective programme note, they frankly admit that Cage of Gold breaks completely away from what they call their 'semi-documentary' style, and is 'emotional melodrama'. The description can be accepted. ... It all runs efficiently to its rules and timetable, and, oddly enough, Miss Simmons acts better here than in So Long at the Fair."^[6]

Picture Show wrote that the film is "lavishly staged and efficiently directed, but the characters are somewhat stereotyped".^[7]

After the US première on 18 January 1952, The New York Times reviewer Howard Thompson wrote: "Cage of Gold ... is a polished, often suspenseful British version of the familiar old Enoch Arden yarn. The fact that it doesn't come off on the whole is not only disappointing, but downright annoying. For even with some serious shortcomings, here is a quality product, as might be expected from Michael Balcon, who has produced more than his share of top-notch imports. This one has, at least, all the top-notch trimmings. The photography is excellent, Basil Dearden's direction is slick as a whistle, and the acting of the cast, headed by Jean Simmons and David Farrar, is almost consistently good. ... Sadly, though, the picture as a whole is a letdown".^[8]

Variety wrote: "Affer a succession: of sophisticated hits, it is too bad to find Ealing Studios wasting their talents and a big cast on this obvious story. ... Technical qualities of the production are up to the high Ealing standard, but the story is an unsatisfactory vehicle. Nevertheless, Jean Simmons gives a moving study as the girl who was carried away by a man whom she had loved from her-youth. It is a tender performance. David Farrar takes the part of the no-good husband in his stride but it does not show him up to best advantage. James Donald does a good enough job as husband No. 2. Herbert. Tom, one of Britain's best character actors, is wasted in a minor role as the head man-of a:smuggling ring, Madeleine Lebeau is a disappointment as the French nightclub songstress." Basil Dearden's direction suffers from the limitations imposed by Jack Whittingham's script. Jim Morahan's London Parisian settings are very good and Douglas Slocombe's lensing is efficient."^[9]

• Cage of Gold at the British Film Institute^{[better source needed]}
• Cage of Gold at IMDb