Edge of Eternity (1959)

Edge of Eternity (1959)

“With all that gold here, how come they only have one man to guard it?”

Synopsis:
A deputy sheriff (Cornel Wilde) in a Grand Canyon ghost town investigates a mysterious rash of murders.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Cornel Wilde Films
  • Don Siegel Films
  • Gold Seekers
  • Mining Towns
  • Murder Mystery
  • Sheriffs

Review:
Don Siegel’s first widescreen picture was this decent yet uninspired mystery thriller, based on the premise that hidden deposits of gold in the Grand Canyon might lead to increasingly shady behavior by those who know of its location. As Siegel himself noted, the film’s primary selling points are its gorgeous VistaVision cinematography, and the “palm drenching” final sequences. Victoria Shaw is appealing as Wilde’s red-headed love interest, though she doesn’t have nearly enough screen time or interesting dialogue; Wilde himself is as stoic as ever, and merely serviceable in the lead role.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Gorgeous cinematography of the Grand Canyon
  • The final climactic scenes over the Canyon
  • Victoria Shaw as Wilde’s beautiful love interest

Must See?
No. It’s not clear why Peary lists this title in the back of his book, other than the fact that it was directed by Don Siegel.

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One thought on “Edge of Eternity (1959)

  1. First viewing. In agreement; not must-see.

    There’s some nice aerial photography by typically dependable Burnett Guffey – and that’s about it. The script itself – while not exactly terrible – isn’t all that compelling. For a murder mystery, it’s oddly slow-moving.

    I would disagree about Shaw not having much screen time. She’s in quite a lot of the film, and it’s only 75 minutes long.

    Very odd – not particularly appropriate film title.

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