Hellgate (1952)

Man is framed & sent to toughest prison in the territory.

Director:

Charles Marquis Warren

Writers:

John C. Champion (story), Charles Marquis Warren (story)

Stars:

Sterling Hayden, Joan Leslie, Ward Bond

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sterling Hayden	...	Gilman S. Hanley
Joan Leslie	...	Ellen Hanley
Ward Bond	...	Lt. Tod Voorhees
James Arness	...	George Redfield
Peter Coe	...	Jumper Hall
John Pickard	...	Gundy Boyd
Robert J. Wilke	...	Sgt. Maj. Kearn (as Robert Wilkie)
James Anderson	...	Vern Brechene (as Kyle James)
Richard Emory	...	Dan Mott
Dick Paxton	...	George Nye (as Richard Paxton)
William Hamel	...	Lt. Col. Woods (as William R. Hamel)
Marshall Bradford	...	Dr. Pelham
Sheb Wooley	...	Neill Price
Rory Mallinson	...	Banta
Pat Coleman	...	Hunchy

Storyline

A man is accused of spying for the confedaracy, and sentenced to the notorious Hellgate Prison. After he unsuccessfully attempts to breakout, and is sentenced to solitary confinement, he redeems himself when the prison is taken down by a plague.

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Plot Keywords:

prison | new mexico | arrow through neck | whipping | prison break | 

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Taglines:

NEW MEXICO'S NOTORIOUS UNDERGROUND DESERT PRISON! (original print ad - all caps)

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Genres:

Western

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 September 1952 (USA)

Also Known As:

Das Tor zur Hölle

Filming Locations:

Bronson Canyon, Griffith Park - 4730 Crystal Springs Drive, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Commander Films Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

When Gil Hanley is in jail he is kissing his wife Ellen and his whole head is sticking out between the bars which are so far apart he could have slid out sideways between them.

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Connections

Version of The Prisoner of Shark Island (1936)

User Reviews

Familiar material with a different slant

The early part of this story is the routine innocent-man-sent-to-prison story. Once Sterling Hayden arrives at the prison, however, things improve because of the unusual nature of the prison. It's located in a canyon near the southwestern tip of New Mexico. The canyon walls are more than 200 feet tall and beyond them lies a waterless desert patrolled by Pima Indians anxious to earn a reward for capturing any escapee. Prisoners are kept in underground cells. Punishment consists of being baked in metal coffins half-buried in the sand, or being whipped at a teasingly slow pace which allows the pain of each blow to sink in before the next one is delivered.

Seeing how Sterling Hayden reacts to this environment and how he eventually overcomes it makes for a western which rises a bit above its standard materials.