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The Big House (1930) More at IMDbPro »


Overview

User Rating:
7.3/10   486 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 9% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
Joseph Farnham (additional dialogue)
Martin Flavin (additional dialogue)
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Contact:
View company contact information for The Big House on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
14 June 1930 (USA) more
Genre:
Tagline:
Timely! Tremendous! Thrilling! Drama of Love and a Jail-Break!
Plot:
A convict falls in love with his new cellmate's sister, only to become embroiled in a planned break-out which is certain to have lethal consequences. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
Won 2 Oscars. Another 2 nominations more
User Comments:
Laurel & Hardy send up of this film more (15 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Chester Morris ... John Morgan

Wallace Beery ... 'Machine Gun' Butch Schmidt
Lewis Stone ... Warden James Adams

Robert Montgomery ... Kent Marlowe
Leila Hyams ... Anne Marlowe
George F. Marion ... Pop Riker
J.C. Nugent ... Mr. Marlowe
Karl Dane ... Olsen
DeWitt Jennings ... Capt. Wallace
Matthew Betz ... Gopher (as Mathew Betz)
Claire McDowell ... Mrs. Marlowe
Robert Emmett O'Connor ... Police Sgt. Donlin (as Robert Emmet O'Connor)
Tom Kennedy ... Uncle Jed
Tom Wilson ... Sandy, Guard
Eddie Foyer ... Dopey
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Additional Details

Runtime:
USA:87 min
Country:
Language:
Aspect Ratio:
1.20 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Sound System)
Certification:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Wallace Beery's mess-hall diatribe is parodied by Leslie Nielsen in Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult (1994), when he goes undercover in the prison and complains about the quality of the food. more
Quotes:
[repeated line]
'Machine Gun' Butch Schmidt: Who, me?
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Chicago (2002) more

FAQ

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Laurel & Hardy send up of this film, 4 November 2009
7/10
Author: crab49 from Maryland (skyhook909@yahoo.com)

For those who tend to chuckle at the now antiquated clichés in this film may I suggest that after you see it you view Laurel & Hardy in "Pardon Us". It is a hilarious send up of "The Big House". You will find that many segments of the Pardon Us are almost direct scene for scene lampoons of the very popular "Big House". In fact many of the scenes in "Pardon Us" were filmed on the sets used for "The Big House". Walter Long takes the part of Butch (Wallace Beery) If I am not mistaken Pardon Us is the boys first feature length film. A favorite of mine. "The Big House" is a very enjoyable early talkie but for entertainment value I find Pardon Us much more fun.

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Message Boards

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Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Lon Chaney gilbert1926
Poor Acting wmoores
Warner now selling this DVD exclusively on their webpage simonhowson
Urgent need for DVD release rndicenso
WHAT HAPPENED TO KARL DANE? PATRICK1962
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Related Links

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