THE BIG HOUSE

THE BIG HOUSE occupies ground zero for an entire genre of American films, the prison picture. This gritty, early sound, pre-Code drama offers a no-holds barred glimpse into an American prison during the early years of the Great Depression. The film was a huge hit and served as the template for countless other prison movies that soon followed.

The narrative starts by following Kent (Robert Montgomery), an average Joe without a criminal past, who is sent to prison on a charge of manslaughter (he killed a man while driving drunk). We're set up to believe that the story is going to be about Kent and his trials and tribulations behind bars (early on he's told, "if you've got a yellow streak, prison will bring it out", which turns out to be prophetic). But the focus shifts once Kent is introduced to his cellmates, the murderous Butch (Wallace Beery) and career criminal Morgan (Chester Morris). 

Morgan comes to dominate the rest of the film. He's slated for an early release for time served and good behavior but Kent plants a knife on him, which ends up sending Morgan to "the hole", where Butch is already doing time. Morgan stages a daring escape in a morgue wagon and once freed, strikes up a relationship with Kent's pretty sister, bookstore owner Anne (Leila Hyams). But Morgan is eventually captured and sent back to prison just in time to discover a bold escape plan engineered by Butch about to be set in motion. 

The escape, of course, goes wrong and erupts into a furious gun battle between the prisoners and the "screws". Tommy guns, .50 caliber machine guns, pistols, gas and two military tanks (!) are used to put down the riot. It's a bravura, exciting and thrilling finale to an extremely compelling story. 

The legendary Lon Chaney was originally set to play the part of Butch. But when Chaney died of throat cancer, the part went to Beery, who earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his performance. The nomination and acclaim led Beery to become the world's highest paid actor within two years. The Best Screenplay Oscar went to Francis Marion, while Douglas Shearer took home the very first Academy Award for Sound. THE BIG HOUSE was also nominated for Best Picture of the Year. 

Sporting massive sets (courtesy of fabled art director Cedric Gibbons) and amazingly fluid camera work by Harold Wenstrom, THE BIG HOUSE is a hard boiled classic. Recommended.