The Hanged Man

Nowhere near as effective as Siegel's other telefilm (The Killers), this second version of Dorothy Hughes' Ride the Pink Horse comes over as a thriller with considerable directing flair and little substance. As Culp travels to New Orleans to take revenge on the man he believes responsible for the death of his friend, only to discover that he is the victim of manipulative deception, Siegel makes the most of his colourful locations (notably during the Mardi Gras festivities), but is let down by a hackneyed, incoherent script, which has Culp getting involved with a beautiful young girl of astonishing, implausible innocence. Of interest to Siegel completists only.