Invisible Stripes (1939)

Director:

Lloyd Bacon

Writers:

Warren Duff (screen play)
Jonathan Finn (from a story by)
(more)

Release Date:

30 December 1939 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

Three Men and a Girl... Bound by Invisible Ties - Branded by Invisible Stripes

Plot:

An ex-con who wants to go straight has difficulties trying to reintegrate into society while on parole.

Plot Keywords:

Garage | Police | Parole | Ex Con | Prison

Cast

George Raft	...	Cliff Taylor
Jane Bryan	...	Peggy
William Holden	...	Tim Taylor
Humphrey Bogart	...	Chuck Martin
Flora Robson	...	Mrs. Taylor
Paul Kelly	...	Ed Kruger
Lee Patrick	...	Molly
Henry O'Neill	...	Parole Officer Masters
Frankie Thomas	...	Tommy
Moroni Olsen	...	The Warden
Margot Stevenson	...	Sue
Marc Lawrence	...	Lefty
Joe Downing	...	Johnny (as Joseph Downing)
Leo Gorcey	...	Jimmy
William Haade	...	Shrank
Tully Marshall	...	Old Peter
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Maude Allen	...	Seated Lady at Dance (uncredited)
Raymond Bailey	...	Bookie (uncredited)
Bruce Bennett	...	Rich Man (uncredited)
Wade Boteler	...	Policeman Outside Garage (uncredited)
Sidney Bracey	...	Bank Guard (uncredited)
Frank Bruno	...	Pauly (uncredited)
Eddy Chandler	...	Police Driver (uncredited)
Lane Chandler	...	Detective (uncredited)
Cliff Clark	...	Police Sergeant (uncredited)
Richard Clayton	...	Hired Stockboy (uncredited)
G. Pat Collins	...	Alec - New 'Fish' (uncredited)
Ray Cooke	...	Pinky - Tim's Mechanic (uncredited)
William B. Davidson	...	Montgomery (uncredited)
Joe Devlin	...	Mug Who Brings Drink to Chuck (uncredited)
Ralph Dunn	...	Doorman (uncredited)
Robert Elliott	...	Arresting Officer (uncredited)
Frank Faylen	...	Steve - Henchman on Bank Job (uncredited)
Sammy Finn	...	Spotter (uncredited)
Pat Flaherty	...	Worker (uncredited)
Jane Gilbert	...	Young Society Lady (uncredited)
Jack Gordon	...	Convict (uncredited)
Mack Gray	...	Henchman Seated at Party (uncredited)
Bert Hanlon	...	Shorty - Mug at Party (uncredited)
Lew Harvey	...	Betting Room Door Guard (uncredited)
Al Hill Jr.	...	Stockboy (uncredited)
Al Hill	...	Getaway Driver at Bank Job (uncredited)
Max Hoffman Jr.	...	Chauffeur Showing Off Car (uncredited)
William Hopper	...	Society Gent in Top Hat (uncredited)
J. Anthony Hughes	...	Chauffeur #2 (uncredited)
John Irwin	...	Prisoner (uncredited)
Selmer Jackson	...	Police Lieutenant (uncredited)
Walter James	...	Worker (uncredited)
Victor Kilian	...	Loading Dock Foreman (uncredited)
Ethan Laidlaw	...	Cop Outside Police Station (uncredited)
Mike Lally	...	Henchman Driver (uncredited)
Marion Martin	...	Blonde (uncredited)
Frank Mayo	...	Prison Gate Guard (uncredited)
Stan Meyers	...	Dance Band Leader (uncredited)
Jack Mower	...	Detective Escorting Convicts (uncredited)
Pat O'Malley	...	Jailhouse Lieutenant with Capt. Johnson (uncredited)
Emory Parnell	...	Policeman Outside Bank (uncredited)
Allen Pomeroy	...	Bank Guard (uncredited)
Tom Quinn	...	Handcuffed Prisoner (uncredited)
John Ridgely	...	Employment Clerk (uncredited)
Harry Strang	...	Party Bartender (uncredited)
George Taylor	...	Smitty - Returning 'Fish' (uncredited)
Charles C. Wilson	...	Arresting Officer (uncredited)
Harry Wilson	...	Worker (uncredited)
Claude Wisberg	...	Older Boy (uncredited)
Dorothea Wolbert	...	Flower Woman (uncredited)

Directed by
Lloyd Bacon

Writing credits
Warren Duff		(screen play)
Jonathan Finn		(from a story by)
Lewis E. Lawes		(based on the book by) (as Warden Lewis E. Lawes)

Produced by
Louis F. Edelman	....	associate producer
Hal B. Wallis	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Heinz Roemheld		(as H. Roemheld)

Cinematography by
Ernest Haller		(director of photography) (as Ernie Haller)

Film Editing by
James Gibbon		(film editor)

Art Direction by
Max Parker

Costume Design by
Milo Anderson		(gowns)

Makeup Department
Perc Westmore	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Jack L. Warner	....	in charge of production

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Don Alvarado	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Elmer Decker	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Dolph Thomas	....	sound

Special Effects by
Byron Haskin	....	special effects

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Eugene Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)

Music Department
Leo F. Forbstein	....	musical director
Ray Heindorf	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Max Steiner	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)

Other crew
Irving Rapper	....	dialogue director
Earl Baldwin	....	treatment (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros (presents) (as Warner Bros. Pictures Inc.) (A Warner Bros.-First National Picture)

Distributors

• Warner Bros (1939) (USA) (theatrical)
• Teakwood Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2010) (USA) (DVD) (on "Warners Gangster Collection #4")
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (????) (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Turner Entertainment  DVD package design
• Warner Bros. Entertainment  DVD package design

Also Known As:

Runtime:

81 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Victor System)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #5755) | USA:TV-G (TV rating) | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Sing Sing Penitentiary - 354 Hunter Street, Ossining, New York, USA

Company:

Warner Bros

Trivia:

According to William Holden, during the fight scene between the brothers, Holden accidentally hit George Raft in the eye with his head and opened a gash.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Tim is wheeling his motorcycle into the back of the garage after taking Chuck to meet his girlfriend, shadows of the police waiting inside are visible on the garage door, ruining the surprise that they are laying in wait for him.

Quotes:

Parole Officer Masters:Parolees are supposed to be impervious to insults.

Movie Connections:

References You Can't Get Away with Murder (1939)

Soundtrack:

Wedding March

William Holden at 22

Somehow at the age of 22, William Holden looked like a better-looking Tom Hanks. And I'll bet there are a lot of people who could sit through "Invisible Stripes" and not know it was William Holden.

"Invisible Stripes" stars George Raft, Humphrey Bogart, William Holden, and Jane Bryan.

George Raft plays Cliff Taylor who, once released from prison, decides to stay on the straight and narrow. His pal, Chuck Martin (Bogart) has no such intentions. Cliff, who has a brother (Holden) and a mother (Fay Robson) finds the going tough, unable to get a job he can keep for various reasons, usually someone making trouble for him. His kindly parole officer encourages him to keep trying. With his brother Tim wanting to marry his girlfriend Peggy, and the job situation, Cliff decides to go in with Chuck's group.

Pretty good gangster flick, with Bogart, not long before his breakout role in High Sierra, giving the strongest performance. Raft is playing a good guy so he doesn't demonstrate a lot of bite. The film has some exciting scenes, particularly toward the end.

Holden, as stated above, is just a kid but does a good job as a man in love who wants to give his girlfriend the world, if only he had some money. It would be 11 years before he made his mark in "Sunset Boulevard" and became a true superstar.

As an aside, Jane Bryan retired to marry Justin Dart, who took over Rexall Drug chain. She died in 2009 at the age of 91.

In many ways a typical Warner Brothers gangster film, but a good one.