Framed (1975)

The Age of Commercialism

Purely Joyful Movie!

Best movie ever!

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

The talents behind the highly successful "Walking Tall" - actor Joe Don Baker, screenwriter Mort Briskin, and director Phil Karlson - reunite for another reasonably compelling combination of action and melodrama, filmed on location in Tennessee.Baker is likable as gambler Ron Lewis, who's thrown in prison for killing a deputy sheriff (Roy Jenson) in self defense. Watched over in prison by benevolent kingpin Sal Viccarrone (John Marley), Ron does his time and of course is stubbornly determined to find out who did him wrong, in this adaptation of a novel by Art Powers and Mike Misenheimer.It's to Karlsons' credit that this is as entertaining as it is: it's briskly paced and directed, with a fairly twist-laden story that's not hard to follow. The supporting cast is full of familiar faces who give strong performances. Lovely Conny Van Dyke plays the leading lady, and she does a fine job while also getting the chance to sing a few tunes. Standing out are the rock solid Brock Peters as a brave deputy and former Dead End Kid Gabriel Dell as Rons' fellow jailbird Vince Greeson. Also appearing are John Larch as the sheriff and Warren J. Kemmerling as the mayor, as well as Paul Mantee, Walter Brooke, Joshua Bryant, Hunter von Leer, Les Lannom, Hoke Howell, and Red West; wrestler H.B. Haggerty is particularly fun as a thuggish cop who wants to get back at Ron seeing that the cop Ron killed was his cousin."Framed" gets fairly grim, with a pair of creeps dispatched to violate Van Dykes' character, and has some brief bursts of gory violence, especially in one memorable torture sequence. There's also a fantastic train-car collision as a major highlight. Patrick Williams' music score is another asset. The villains are just as corrupt and heinous as we could hope for in a film of this kind, and we're left in little doubt that Ron will see things through to the bitter end.While this isn't anything truly special when all is said and done, it's still pretty entertaining while it lasts.Seven out of 10.

I had seen Framed a couple of times back in the mid 1970s, and I remembered it as a solid drive-in revenge drama on a par with its companion piece, the original 'Walking Tall.' After just watching it again, I have to say I am stunned at how good it really is. It's well acted (the female lead, Conny Van Dyke is perhaps a little weak), tightly scripted with realistic dialog and believable action, and briskly paced. It contains a slew of potentially stock characters, including several corrupt police and political officials, a mafia boss and one of his henchmen, a single honest African-American policeman, and some Southern redneck hoodlums. Still, instead of appearing flat and contrived, they all manage to seem distinct, well-enough rounded, and logically consistent with their context in the story. The direction is totally professional but as straightforward and simple as the story it's telling. It's like the best TV movie you've ever seen with a moderate amount of profanity and a few scenes of ultra-realistic violence thrown in. Altogether, the effect is a kind of realism that can sometimes be mistaken as amateurish but will in fact stand up to some serious scrutiny. It may not have the glossy sheen of a big-budget Hollywood thriller, but Framed also avoids the plot holes, caricatures, and over the top stunts that weaken so many of them. That's not to say it lacks for action. There's plenty of mayhem and bloodshed and even an actual train wreck. And if you like to see the good and bad guys get what's coming to them, Framed will definitely deliver. In short, Framed is a damned good movie, and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes action flicks.

I was finally able to see this thanks to the new Legend DVD release. Just like WALKING TALL before it, the film certainly covers a lot of ground and hits about 50 different genres including Southern revenge, police corruption, political corruption, rape-revenge, prisons, mean guards, gambling, mafia, hit men, and lounge acts. As always, Joe Don Baker is great as the rugged Southern type who seeks personal justice. In the end, the script tends to be a bit flabby and it could have been cut down by about 20 minutes though. Make sure to keep an eye out for a stunt involving a car vs. train that is insane. No way anyone in Hollywood would attempt that today!

"Framed" (1975) was legendary film noir director Phil Karlson's first film after the gargantuan success of his 1973 biopic of Tennessee Sheriff Buford Pusser, "Walking Tall." In "Framed", Karlson continues the theme of revenge which has dominated his body of work since the early 1950's. His masterpieces include "Scandal Sheet" (1952), "Kansas City Confidential" (1953) and, of course, "The Phenix City Story" (1955). "Phenix City" is a fact based biopic, along the lines of "Walking Tall", about the murder of the Attorney General Elect of the State of Alabama. Long considered Karlson's greatest achievement, it was made prior to the sentencing of those involved in the AG's murder, and greatly affected the outcome of their trial. "Framed", compares well to Karlson's best works. Karlson always worked on a limited budget. Like Samuel Fuller and Don Siegel, Karlson was a talented and resourceful filmmaker whose films are often more than they seem. On the surface, Karlson's films appear to be violent exploitation pieces; but, they are much more. Each of Karlson's efforts, particularly the ones mentioned here, are morality plays. Their protagonist is usually a morally just man who wanders too close to immorality, and pays a price. Gambling is often featured as the tempting vice in Karlson's films and "Framed" is no exception. Joe Don Baker, a remarkable and underrated actor, stars here as a small time gambler who owns a bar with his girlfriend, Connie Smith. Following a successful out of town game, Baker is robbed by an unknown assailant and then nearly killed (in one of the most graphic scenes in any Karlson film) by a crooked Deputy Sheriff responding to the scene. In self-defense, Baker kills the officer. Proving once again that there is corruption at every level of the legal system, Baker is sent to prison by a corrupt District Attorney, a corrupt Judge and a corrupt attorney. There's even corruption at a higher level that will ultimately be revealed. While in prison, Baker meets a powerful mob figure (a fine supporting performance by John Marley), and thereby sets in motion his revenge. Vigilante justice is often also a theme of director Karlson. With or without a badge, Karlson's protagonists carry out true justice in spite of the law, while gaining revenge for themselves. They are ultimately heroes because they can be seen as protectors of "the little people" who are downtrodden by the corrupt hierarchy. "Framed" also contains another Karlson trademark: promotion of racial equality. Karlson's films contain some of the most powerfully accurate portraits of racial prejudice along with black characters who are thoughtful and intelligent. Brock Peters, a fine actor, is very good as a deputy who comes to Baker's aid. What other filmmaker, appealing to a largely white southern audience--well, yes, a predominately "redneck" audience--would have had the courage to feature such characters in his films. An intelligent study of Karlson's body of work is long overdue, and "Framed" should be part of that study. It is entertaining and has something to say about our society. It is expertly directed and the performances are above par. If you are looking for an exciting, action packed film with something extra, look no further than "Framed."