Second Chance

In Mexico, a boxer (Robert Mitchum) discovers his girl (Linda Darnell) is a mob moll on the run from a hitman (Jack Palance).

Despite the one-two punch of Robert Mitchum and Jack Palance, Second Chance is a dull, uninspired thriller. This is mainly due to the fact that the story revolves around Linda Darnell’s character who, aside from a plot device, is completely disposable.

Worse, both Mitchum and Palance are off, with Mitchum’s smoldering cool giving way to a tired indifference, and Palance’s icy cool giving way to a manic raving. This should have been one for the ages, with two of the screen’s biggest, toughest, coolest stars going mano a mano, but instead we get a snooze fest.

A large part of the blame likely goes to director Rudolph Maté. While the former cinematographer does a great job showcasing the Mexican locales, his editing during the climactic cable-car sequence is underwhelming. What should be scene of nail-biting tension instead feels stilted and drawn-out. Granted, some of this could fall on producer Howard Hughes, who was known for re-cutting his film, but we’ll never know.

Second Chance was billed as “For the First Time—3D with Important Stars!” and perhaps the 3-D gimmick might make the film worthy of its title, but since you’re not likely to find a 3-D print, this is one to avoid.