The Secret of Convict Lake (1951): Cast & Plot
The Secret of Convict Lake is a 1951 western directed by Michael Gordon, starring Glenn Ford as Jim Canfield, Cyril Cusack and Ann Dvorak. It runs 1 hour 23 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 23m (83 min)
- Director
- Michael Gordon
- Genre
- Western
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- 20th Century Fox
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is The Secret of Convict Lake About?
The premise of The Secret of Convict Lake without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
After a prison break, a band of convicts seeks refuge in the wilderness, only to stumble upon an isolated farming settlement whose men are away. Among the outlaws, ruthless sociopaths clash with Jim Canfield, an innocent wrongfully jailed. Tensions rise as six women are left vulnerable, rumors of hidden money spread, and Canfield discovers that the man who framed him lives among the settlers.
The Secret of Convict Lake Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- sierra nevada mountains
- snowstorm
- log cabin
- saloon
- ambush
- revenge
- murder
- mining town
- blizzard
- year 1871
- escaped prisoner
- dog
+38 more Show fewer
- framed for murder
- reference to carson city nevada
- owens river valley
- mount morrison california
- frozen to death
- shackles
- leg irons
- collie dog
- homestead settlement
- rifle
- pistol
- revolver
- engaged woman single man relationship
- brother sister relationship
- livestock
- horseback riding
- fistfight
- woman slaps mayenne
- fox
- playing harmonica
- irish reel
- stolen money
- stolen kiss
- implied sex
- killing in self defense
- kiss
- assaulted with a knife
- killed with a pitchfork
- stabbed with knife
- ambiguous ending
- convict lake california
- woman in jeopardy
- scene during opening credits
- man
- september 17 1871
- classical western
- barn on fire
- noir western
The Secret of Convict Lake Cast & Characters
Glenn Ford leads the cast as Jim Canfield, with Cyril Cusack as Edward "Limey" Cockerell and Ann Dvorak as Rachel Schaeffer. Directed by Michael Gordon; 31 actors are credited in all.
- Director Michael Gordon
-
Glenn Ford as Jim Canfield -
Cyril Cusack as Edward "Limey" Cockerell -
Ann Dvorak as Rachel Schaeffer - Zachary Scott as Johnny Greer
Also Starring in The Secret of Convict Lake
· 27 more- Harry Carter Rudy Schaeffer
- Ethel Barrymore Granny
- Gene Tierney Marcia Stoddard
- Richard Hylton Clyde Maxwell
- Jeanette Nolan Harriet Purcell
- Max Wagner Jack Purcell (uncredited)
- Barbara Bates Barbara Purcell
- Jack Lambert Matt Anderson (uncredited)
- Ray Teal Sheriff Cromwell (uncredited)
- Tom London Jerry - Posse Member (uncredited)
- Ruth Donnelly Mary Fancher
- Houseley Stevenson Samuel 'Pawnee Sam' Barlow (uncredited)
- Raymond Greenleaf Tom Fancher (uncredited)
- Helen Westcott Susan Haggerty
- Dale Robertson Narrator (Voice) (uncredited)
- Charles Flynn Steve Gower (uncredited)
Show all 31 cast members Show fewer cast members
- Forrest Burns Minor Role (uncredited)
- John Marshall Bartender (uncredited)
- William F. Leicester Luke Haggerty (uncredited)
- Mary Carroll Millie Gower (uncredited)
- Bernard Szold Bartender (uncredited)
- Pat Combs Minor Role (uncredited)
- David Post Mike Fancher (uncredited)
- Danny Fisher Minor Role (uncredited)
- Sandee Marriott Minor Role (uncredited)
- Frances Endfield Tess (uncredited)
- Tom Hawthorne Minor Role (uncredited)
More from Michael Gordon
More films directed by Michael Gordon, best-rated first: Pillow Talk, The Impossible Years, Texas Across the River and A Very Special Favor.
The Secret of Convict Lake Plot Summary
What happens in The Secret of Convict Lake from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 4-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
The film opens with a calm, guiding narrator laying the groundwork for a frontier drama that blends menace and moral consequence. In 1871, six convicts break free from a Carson City prison, with one of them freezing to death in a raging blizzard as the others push toward a remote settlement by Lake Monte Diablo, where eight women remain with their men away prospecting. Edward ‘Limey’ Cockerell [Cyril Cusack] is among the escapees, along with Jim Canfield [Glenn Ford], Johnny Greer [Zachary Scott], Rudy Schaeffer [Harry Carter], and the others, who converge on a quiet outpost watched over by Granny [Ethel Barrymore]. The women, led by Granny and their elder care, fearfully grant the men the use of an empty cabin while quietly recognizing the danger that accompanies their return.
Full summary
The whole story of The Secret of Convict Lake, scene by scene
The Secret of Convict Lake Videos
The clip of The Secret of Convict Lake.
How Well Do You Know The Secret of Convict Lake?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Which actor portrayed Jim Canfield in the film?
The Secret of Convict Lake Also Known As
6 alternative titles, including “El pueblo sin hombres” and “El secreto de Convict Lake”.
- Also known as
-
- El pueblo sin hombres
- El secreto de Convict Lake
- Il segreto del lago
- Vergeltung am Teufelssee
- L'Énigme du lac noir
- Djävulens sjö
Seen The Secret of Convict Lake?
Movies Like The Secret of Convict Lake
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Convict Stage, Hangman’s Knot and The Outrage.
The Secret of Convict Lake FAQ: Cast & Runtime
Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of The Secret of Convict Lake, each answered in a sentence.
How long is The Secret of Convict Lake?
The Secret of Convict Lake runs 1 hour 23 minutes (83 minutes).
When was The Secret of Convict Lake released?
The Secret of Convict Lake was released on July 29, 1951.
Who directed The Secret of Convict Lake?
The Secret of Convict Lake was directed by Michael Gordon.
More films by Michael Gordon Who is in the cast of The Secret of Convict Lake?
The Secret of Convict Lake stars Glenn Ford as Jim Canfield, Cyril Cusack as Edward "Limey" Cockerell and Ann Dvorak as Rachel Schaeffer, among 31 credited actors.
Does The Secret of Convict Lake have a post-credit scene?
No. The Secret of Convict Lake has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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