King of Alcatraz (1938)

A convict who has just escaped from Alcatraz Prison takes over a passenger ship. Two of the ship's crew hatch a plot to overpower him and rescue the ship's passengers.

Director:

Robert Florey

Writer:

Irving Reis

Stars:

Gail Patrick, Lloyd Nolan, Harry Carey

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gail Patrick	...	Dale Borden
Lloyd Nolan	...	Raymond Grayson
Harry Carey	...	Captain Glennan
J. Carrol Naish	...	Steve Murkil
Robert Preston	...	Robert MacArthur
Anthony Quinn	...	Lou Gedney
Dennis Morgan	...	First Mate Rogers (as Richard Stanley)
Richard Denning	...	Harry Vay
Konstantin Shayne	...	Murok
Eddie Marr	...	Dave Carter
Emory Parnell	...	Olaf
Paul Fix	...	'Nails' Miller
Virginia Vale	...	Dixie (as Dorothy Howe)
Monte Blue	...	Officer
John Hart	...	1st Radio Operator

Storyline

A convict who has just escaped from Alcatraz Prison takes over a passenger ship. Two of the ship's crew hatch a plot to overpower him and rescue the ship's passengers.

---

Plot Keywords:

alcatraz

---

Genres:

Drama

---

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 September 1938 (USA)

Also Known As:

El tirano de Alcatraz

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

68 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

One of over 700 Paramount Productions, filmed between 1929 and 1949, which were sold to MCA/Universal in 1958 for television distribution, and have been owned and controlled by Universal ever since.

User Reviews

Auspicious debut for energetic Robert Preston...

An auspicious debut for energetic Robert Preston, this economical little B picture rises above the mundane largely because of its brisk pace and excellent performances...Preston and Lloyd Nolan (younger than I've ever seen him) are maritime radio operators relegated for a tour aboard a tramp steamer as a disciplinary action because of their penchant for wrecking cafes and bars while ashore, engaging in their violent camaradie and alpha male competition. In short, the two men are still just overgrown boys. However, when an escaped racketeer murderer and his gang pass themselves off as legitimate passengers and soon take over the ship, they both have to grow up fast or die, along with others that get in the way. The second half of the film builds a good deal of tension as the two men put their lives at risk in desperate attempts to thwart the murderous gangster, so aptly portrayed by J. Carrol Naish.