A gentle, naive, pregnant 19-year-old widow is slowly, inexorably ground down by the hardened criminals, sadistic guards, and matron at a woman's prison. Will she be the same person when her sentence is up?
Director:
Awards:
- Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations.
- See more »
Photos and Videos
Cast verified as complete
| Eleanor Parker | ... |
Marie Allen
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| Agnes Moorehead | ... |
Ruth Benton
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| Ellen Corby | ... |
Emma Barber
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| Hope Emerson | ... |
Evelyn Harper
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| Betty Garde | ... |
Kitty Stark
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| Jan Sterling | ... |
Jeta Kovsky - aka Smoochie
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| Lee Patrick | ... |
Elvira Powell
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| Olive Deering | ... |
June Roberts - Inmate
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| Jane Darwell | ... |
Isolation Matron
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| Gertrude Michael | ... |
Georgia Harrison
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| Sheila MacRae | ... |
Helen
(as Sheila Stevens)
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Gertrude Astor | ... |
Inmate (uncredited)
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| George Baxter | ... |
Jeffries (uncredited)
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Guy Beach | ... |
Mr. Cooper (uncredited)
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| Don Beddoe | ... |
Commissioner Sam Walker (uncredited)
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| Gail Bonney | ... |
Inmate (uncredited)
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| Lovyss Bradley | ... |
Inmate (uncredited)
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Ralph Brooks | ... |
Man in Car (uncredited)
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Jean Calhoun | ... |
Inmate (uncredited)
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Claudia Cauldwell | ... |
Inmate (uncredited)
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Pauline Creasman | ... |
Inmate (uncredited)
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| Marjorie Crossland | ... |
Katie 'Cassie' Cassidy (uncredited)
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Jane Crowley | ... |
Matron (uncredited)
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Evelyn Dockson | ... |
Matron (uncredited)
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Pauline Drake | ... |
Doctor's Wife (uncredited)
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| Marlo Dwyer | ... |
Julie O'Brien - Inmate (uncredited)
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Helen Eby-Rock | ... |
Inmate (uncredited)
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| Virginia Engels | ... |
Inmate (uncredited)
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Barbara Esback | ... |
Matron (uncredited)
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| Edith Evanson | ... |
Miss Barker (uncredited)
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Helen Gereghty | ... |
Inmate (uncredited)
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| Grayce Hampton | ... |
Woman (uncredited)
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| Grace Hayes | ... |
Mugging Matron (uncredited)
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Frances Henderson | ... |
Woman (uncredited)
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| Gertrude Hoffman | ... |
Millie Lewis (uncredited)
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| Taylor Holmes | ... |
Senator Fred Donnolly (uncredited)
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| Esther Howard | ... |
Grace (uncredited)
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Bill Hunter | ... |
Guard (uncredited)
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| Hazel Keener | ... |
Matron (uncredited)
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Doris Kemper | ... |
Inmate (uncredited)
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| Anne Kunde | ... |
Inmate (uncredited)
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Margaret Lambert | ... |
Inmate (uncredited)
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Gracille LaVinder | ... |
Visiting Room Matron (uncredited)
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Marie Melesh | ... |
Inmate (uncredited)
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| Tina Menard | ... |
Inmate (uncredited)
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| Charles Meredith | ... |
Parole Board Chairman (uncredited)
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Joan Miller | ... |
Claire Devlin - Inmate (uncredited)
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| Frances Morris | ... |
Mrs. Foley (uncredited)
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| Helen Mowery | ... |
Woman (uncredited)
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| Zon Murray | ... |
Prison Guard (uncredited) (voice)
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Eva Nelson | ... |
Inmate (uncredited)
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Joyce Newhard | ... |
Inmate (uncredited)
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Rosemary O'Neil | ... |
Inmate (uncredited)
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Ezelle Poule | ... |
Inmate (uncredited)
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Yvonne Rob | ... |
Elaine (uncredited)
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Naomi Robison | ... |
Hattie (uncredited)
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Carole Shannon | ... |
Inmate (uncredited)
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Lynn Sherman | ... |
Ann (uncredited)
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| Queenie Smith | ... |
Mrs. Warren - Marie's Mother (uncredited)
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Helen Spring | ... |
Woman (uncredited)
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Eileen Stevens | ... |
Infirmary Nurse (uncredited)
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| Amzie Strickland | ... |
Inmate (uncredited)
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| Sheila Stuart | ... |
Velma Washington - Inmate (uncredited)
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| Nita Talbot | ... |
Inmate (uncredited)
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Wanda Tynan | ... |
Meta (uncredited)
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| Ann Tyrrell | ... |
Edna (uncredited)
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| Gladys Varden | ... |
Inmate (uncredited)
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Glen Walters | ... |
Inmate (uncredited)
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| Harlan Warde | ... |
Dr. Ashton (uncredited)
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June Whipple | ... |
Ada (uncredited)
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Doris Whitney | ... |
Woman Visitor (uncredited)
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Marjorie Wood | ... |
Matron (uncredited)
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Peggy Wynne | ... |
Lottie (uncredited)
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Directed by
| John Cromwell | ... | (directed by) |
Written by
| Virginia Kellogg | ... | (written by) & |
| Bernard C. Schoenfeld | ... | (written by) |
| Virginia Kellogg | ... | (magazine article: "Inside Women's Prison") (uncredited) |
Produced by
| Jerry Wald | ... | producer |
Music by
| Max Steiner | ||
Cinematography by
| Carl E. Guthrie | ... | director of photography (as Carl Guthrie) |
Editing by
| Owen Marks | ||
Art Direction by
| Charles H. Clarke | ||
Set Decoration by
| G.W. Berntsen | ||
Costume Design by
| Leah Rhodes | ... | (uncredited) |
Makeup Department
| Perc Westmore | ... | makeup artist |
| Myrl Stoltz | ... | hair stylist (uncredited) |
| Ed Voight | ... | makeup artist (uncredited) |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| Frank Mattison | ... | assistant director (uncredited) |
Sound Department
| Stanley Jones | ... | sound |
Camera and Electrical Department
| Herschel Brown | ... | grip (uncredited) |
| Louis Jennings | ... | camera operator (uncredited) |
| Vic Johnson | ... | gaffer (uncredited) |
Music Department
| Murray Cutter | ... | orchestrator |
Script and Continuity Department
| Jean Baker | ... | script supervisor (uncredited) |
Additional Crew
| Doris Whitney | ... | technical advisor |
Production Companies
Distributors
- Warner Bros. (1950) (United States) (theatrical)
- Warner Bros. (1950) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
- Warner Bros. (1951) (Argentina) (theatrical)
- Warner Bros. (1951) (Belgium) (theatrical)
- Warner Bros. (1951) (Norway) (theatrical)
- Warner Bros. (1951) (Sweden) (theatrical)
- Warner Bros. (1952) (Austria) (theatrical)
- Warner Bros. Television (2003) (United States) (tv) (syndication)
- Warner Home Video (2007) (United States) (DVD) (on 'Women in Peril' collection)
- Warner Archive Collection (2014) (United States) (DVD)
- The Criterion Channel (2024) (United States) (tv) (streaming)
Special Effects
Other Companies
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
Frightened 19-year-old Marie Allen gets sent to an Illinois penitentiary for being an accomplice in an armed robbery. A sympathetic prison head tries to help, but her efforts are subverted by cruel matron Evelyn Harper. Marie's harsh experiences turn her from doe-eyed innocent to hard-nosed con. Written by Anonymous |
| Plot Keywords | |
| Taglines | The Story of a Women's Prison Today! See more » |
| Genres | |
| Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
| Certification |
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Did You Know?
| Trivia | After I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932) led to prison reform in six states, Warners producer Jerry Wald wanted to do the same for women's prisons and sent former newspaper reporter Virginia Kellogg out. She had written a novel that became a Kay Francis film, Mary Stevens, M.D. (1933), about a doctor who bears a child out of wedlock. She had also written well-researched original stories that were the basis for T-Men (1947), about treasury agents, and White Heat (1949), starring James Cagney as a psychotic gangster. She spent months doing research for Caged (1950) at prisons around the country, and was even briefly incarcerated in one of them. Her research is evident in the script with authentic prison slang of the era, and details of prison life, such as the caste system, and the tedium of daily life. Virginia Kellogg and Bernard C. Schoenfeld received an Oscar® nomination for Caged (1950)'s story and screenplay. See more » |
| Goofs | An inmate, Georgia Harrison, gets hysterical and breaks the window in her corridor. In this case, the window was inside the bars, which is why the glass would be in a protected and unreachable position. Instead, the bars would have been placed first inside, then the glass further away. The glass would probably be re-enforced glass with wire or even safety glass. Otherwise, an inmate could do just what Georgia did, break it. Then pieces of the glass could be used against other inmates or even prison employees. But then if the glass was safety glass, the scene with Georgia breaking the window would not have been quite so dramatic. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Edited into House of Women (1962). See more » |
| Quotes |
Helen:
[referring to a newly paroled Marie Allen]
What shall I do with her file? Ruth Benton: Keep it active. She'll be back. See more » |