Richard Widmark is the owner of a popular road house that features a bar, a
bunch of bowling lanes, a hang out area and a live piano singer. After
recruiting a sultry singer (Ida Lupino) from out of town, he starts to fall for
her. Unfortunately
she falls for the road house's manager (Cornel
Wilde). Things get a little heated and next thing you know Widmark has
framed Wilde for stealing from the payroll and then in a completely ludicrous,
or should I say...Seinfeldish, (Remember the butler storyline?) turn of events
Wilde has his 2 - 10 years prison sentence suspended under the condition that
he's put on probation in the care of Widmark for 2 years!!! What kind of
wacky shit is that?! Not only did he get framed, but now his punishment is
to be the perpetrator's slave for two years?!! As you can guess, Wilde
doesn't take too well to being Widmark's slave. Lupino isn't too happy
about it either, so things get a little shooty.
From a filmmaking standpoint ROAD HOUSE is fine. It looks good, the sets
look alive and the acting is way better than that weak script deserves.
It's nice to see Lupino in a strong role and Widmark is always great when he's
sleazy, but couldn't maybe he have blackmailed Wilde and Lupino instead of
having to stretch the limits of believably by Wilde be his court appointed
slave?
Interesting film with good acting, but I wish the story had made more
sense. Worth a watch for classic movie fans.
