This one many years later is a kind of period piece not so elegantly hung on a morality play. While the story is not particularly well written it plays better than it should due to a very solid cast. It's a low budget second feature that is fairly wooden in production. The message is revenge is a dead-end emotion for men who seek it leaving more destruction and sorrow. Forgiveness is the only path forward. Good message but hung on a clunker story here. If not for the cast, especially Kay Linaker, it is entirely forgettable.
8 Reviews
Unimpressive Second Feature
boblipton13 April 2021
Ben Alexander is a rising star in Ralph Morgan's office; Morgan's daughter, Kay Linaker, seems t take a personal interest of him. However, Alexander is soon framed for embezzling $5,000, and it takes several years before the actual culprit is discovered. OMogan is contrite, and tries to make it up to Alexander, by inviting him to live in his house, but Alexander, with his new buddies from prison, is nursing a hope for revenge.
It's a mildly underwhelming effort from writer-director Ray Cannon, in which situations arise because of pretty simplistic characters, and a lurching pace. There are also a couple of scenes to pad the movie up to over an hour: one scene in which Miss Linaker and Alexander are walking around a huge garden, and another scene in a night club. There's clearly a message in this film, that peple should be more compassionate, but it is accomplished in such a mechanical fashion that there is little pleasure in this Poverty Row second feature.
It's a mildly underwhelming effort from writer-director Ray Cannon, in which situations arise because of pretty simplistic characters, and a lurching pace. There are also a couple of scenes to pad the movie up to over an hour: one scene in which Miss Linaker and Alexander are walking around a huge garden, and another scene in a night club. There's clearly a message in this film, that peple should be more compassionate, but it is accomplished in such a mechanical fashion that there is little pleasure in this Poverty Row second feature.
Forgettable moralistic revenge tale
dbborroughs26 August 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Frank Morgan plays a captain of industry with a one strike policy. There is no room for failure. When a young man at his factory seems to have misappropriated funds he's sent to prison despite being involved with Morgan's daughter. When several years later his name is cleared the young man sees an opportunity to take revenge on Morgan when bonds go missing.
Okay minor drama is a forgettable time killer. Its not bad but its far from special. It's the sort of thing that you'll watch to see how it plays out before moving on to something else. If you're like me you'll probably feel I saw it, I liked it I never have to see it again.
5 out of 10
Okay minor drama is a forgettable time killer. Its not bad but its far from special. It's the sort of thing that you'll watch to see how it plays out before moving on to something else. If you're like me you'll probably feel I saw it, I liked it I never have to see it again.
5 out of 10
forgettable second-feature prodigal tale
Matt Moses3 June 2001
A typically thin Monogram production. Good guy Ben Alexander becomes a bad guy when boss Ralph Morgan puts him in prison for years for an embezzlement crime he didn't commit. Released upon the suicide confession of the guilty party, Alexander turns to a life of vengeance. His former boss feels guilty about having had a fine employee put away for so long and lets him live in his spacious house and spend quality time with his (not so) lovely daughter Kay Linaker. The bad guy helps his criminal friends steal a quarter of a million dollars from the house safe and then almost has Morgan put away for the same crime with which he had been wrongly pinned. An eleventh hour prodigal son conclusion leaves the viewer a little confused about the proceedings (but probably ready to start another, more satisfying movie). Overlong at 64 minutes.
Cheap revenge tale
Phil Reeder23 February 2009
Insipid story about a young construction engineer (Alexander) falsely accused of embezzlement by his boss. The court sentences him to 15 years, but through a deus ex machina he only serves five. All this time Borden, the employer, has suffered a guilty conscience and wants to make amends, but Bob sees this only as an opportunity to satisfy his thirst for revenge. With the help of his cell-mate Acuff (released at the same time on parole) and a crooked nightclub owner, Bob's scheme works like clockwork. But will he go through with allowing the old man wrongly to get sent up for the same crime the old man accused him of?
I was left wondering, if Bob and Lois grew up friends together and Borden had known Bob forever, why Borden was so quick in accusing Bob of the crime in the first place. Though this is a forgettable picture, it does leave one with questions of how you would act if you were sent to prison for a crime you didn't commit. The message of this story is clear: just forgive everybody and move on.
I was left wondering, if Bob and Lois grew up friends together and Borden had known Bob forever, why Borden was so quick in accusing Bob of the crime in the first place. Though this is a forgettable picture, it does leave one with questions of how you would act if you were sent to prison for a crime you didn't commit. The message of this story is clear: just forgive everybody and move on.
Quick-fire Monogram thriller
Leofwine_draca18 March 2017
Warning: Spoilers
THE OUTER GATE is a Monogram cheapie with quick-fire plotting but little in the way of depth or realism. The main character is an innocent man accused of petty theft, and imprisoned for the crime. Years later his innocence is finally proved and he gets released, only to plot revenge against his former employer with the help of his new-found criminal friends.
What follows is a story heavy on the morality but light on incident. It's fast-moving enough for a programmer but you wish the characters had a little more meat on the bones to give you a reason to care about what's taking place. The actors do the best they can with the roles given but the end result is distinctly ho-hum.
What follows is a story heavy on the morality but light on incident. It's fast-moving enough for a programmer but you wish the characters had a little more meat on the bones to give you a reason to care about what's taking place. The actors do the best they can with the roles given but the end result is distinctly ho-hum.
A nice story idea rather indifferently executed.
planktonrules7 February 2010
Warning: Spoilers
The story idea for "The Outer Gate" is very original and the film is worth seeing just for that. Otherwise, however, it's obviously a B-movie--with less than inspired acting and the script could have benefited from a little "punching up", so to speak.
The story begins with a nice young man (Ben Alexander as 'Bob') dating his boss' daughter. The boss (Ralph Morgan), however, is a bit of a hard-nose--a guy who has little patience for others and is very "law & order" oriented. When one employee is caught stealing, he is sure to prosecute to the fullest. Later, when the Bob is soon accused of stealing as well, the boss cuts him no slack--even though he's known Bob for years and should have trusted him. Bob complains bitterly that he's innocent--all for naught. Once again, the boss prosecutes fully and Bob is sentenced to 15 years in prison.
After five years of do hard labor, the real thief admits to embezzling the funds that Bob was accused of taking!! By now, Bob is bitter and angry and has determined to spend all his energy upon release destroying the boss--and can you really blame him? However, the boss is heart-sick about this and tries to make good--though he knows he can't--he wronged Bob terribly. In fact, when Bob hatches his plan and makes it appear that the boss is himself an embezzler, the boss makes no effort to defend himself--after all, in his mind if this is what Bob demands he'll accept this! What happens next, you'll just have to see for yourself.
This is a fascinating set of circumstances for a film. The idea of the wrongful conviction, the plot for revenge AND the boss willing to accept the conviction as punishment for his prior heartlessness is really unique and compelling. The problem, though, is that the film suffered a tad from some indifferent acting and some slow points in the writing--mostly due to this coming from a so-called "Poverty Row Studio"--a super-small and cheap production company. If the basic story idea were reworked, it would make for a dandy film remake.
By the way, Ralph Morgan is the brother of Frank Morgan (of "The Wizard of Oz" fame). While never as famous as Frank, Ralph was an exceptional character actor and did an excellent job in this low-budget film.
The story begins with a nice young man (Ben Alexander as 'Bob') dating his boss' daughter. The boss (Ralph Morgan), however, is a bit of a hard-nose--a guy who has little patience for others and is very "law & order" oriented. When one employee is caught stealing, he is sure to prosecute to the fullest. Later, when the Bob is soon accused of stealing as well, the boss cuts him no slack--even though he's known Bob for years and should have trusted him. Bob complains bitterly that he's innocent--all for naught. Once again, the boss prosecutes fully and Bob is sentenced to 15 years in prison.
After five years of do hard labor, the real thief admits to embezzling the funds that Bob was accused of taking!! By now, Bob is bitter and angry and has determined to spend all his energy upon release destroying the boss--and can you really blame him? However, the boss is heart-sick about this and tries to make good--though he knows he can't--he wronged Bob terribly. In fact, when Bob hatches his plan and makes it appear that the boss is himself an embezzler, the boss makes no effort to defend himself--after all, in his mind if this is what Bob demands he'll accept this! What happens next, you'll just have to see for yourself.
This is a fascinating set of circumstances for a film. The idea of the wrongful conviction, the plot for revenge AND the boss willing to accept the conviction as punishment for his prior heartlessness is really unique and compelling. The problem, though, is that the film suffered a tad from some indifferent acting and some slow points in the writing--mostly due to this coming from a so-called "Poverty Row Studio"--a super-small and cheap production company. If the basic story idea were reworked, it would make for a dandy film remake.
By the way, Ralph Morgan is the brother of Frank Morgan (of "The Wizard of Oz" fame). While never as famous as Frank, Ralph was an exceptional character actor and did an excellent job in this low-budget film.
It's about retribution...and revenge!
mark.waltz15 January 2019
Warning: Spoilers
When is innocent office clerk (Ben Alexander) is accused of stealing valuable bonds from his stern employer (Ralph Morgan), five years of prison follow, changing his demeanor until a suicide note exposes the real culprit. Alexander pretends to forgive and forget, meeting a kinder and gentler Morgan, rekindling his romance with Morgan's daughter (Kay Linaker), but waiting for the right moment to get his vengeance. Former cellmate Eddie Acuff shows up and together they plot to steal bonds in Morgan's private safe and frame him for the theft. what is Vengeance truly worth it especially when someone has done everything they could to make up for their mistake? That's something that Alexander must learn as he faces his bitterness, as well as the risk of losing Linaker for good.
This is an above average Monogram drama with slide elements of crime but more about the moral issues that the two lead male characters face. Morgan, Alexander and Linekar all give believable performances with vinegar particularly good in the scene where she begs Alexander to reconsider his revenge. The only time when this film sags is during a nightclub sequence featuring a rather annoying imitator of animal sounds. But other than that, this film has an extremely strong script which in the period of an hour, greatly details what is going on in the souls of the two men and how their conscience drives them to that's all right do the things they do. because of that, I have to rank this as a genuinely good film which would certainly have been higher had it not been for that annoying sequence with Alexander and Acuff in the nightclub.
This is an above average Monogram drama with slide elements of crime but more about the moral issues that the two lead male characters face. Morgan, Alexander and Linekar all give believable performances with vinegar particularly good in the scene where she begs Alexander to reconsider his revenge. The only time when this film sags is during a nightclub sequence featuring a rather annoying imitator of animal sounds. But other than that, this film has an extremely strong script which in the period of an hour, greatly details what is going on in the souls of the two men and how their conscience drives them to that's all right do the things they do. because of that, I have to rank this as a genuinely good film which would certainly have been higher had it not been for that annoying sequence with Alexander and Acuff in the nightclub.
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