The few times this movie emerges from the tube, the listings rate it with 1 or 2 stars, but when I saw it in 1961 (in NC, aged 9 or 10) I remembered liking the movie and being confused only by not hearing Johnny Cash sing the theme song. David Janssen, the lead, earned his fame as an impressively intense, underspoken, and charismatic TV actor. The overall look of Ring of Fire resembles TV of the time when it filmed outside the studios. Except for the concluding spectacle of the fire, low production values prevail. Yet within said limits the direction is adept, well-paced, building anxiety and suspense while at the same time creating some reasonably complex characterizations and relations. The intimate scale of most of the scenes along with amateur actors and extras plus real outdoor sets and grainy footage combine for a compelling reality effect. Not a great movie, but redeeming evidence that serious professionals can make a rewarding film from unpromising parts.
Review of Ring of Fire
