Cell 2455 Death Row (1955)

Whit, condemned and awaiting execution, reviews the events of his life that has brought him to Cell 2455 on San Quentin's Death Row, a story he had told in a autobiography that became a ... See full summary »

Director:

Fred F. Sears

Writers:

Caryl Chessman (book), Jack DeWitt

Stars:

William Campbell, R. Wright Campbell, Marian Carr

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
William Campbell	...	Whit Whittier
R. Wright Campbell	...	Whit as a boy (as Robert Campbell)
Marian Carr	...	Doll
Kathryn Grant	...	Jo-Anne
Harvey Stephens	...	Warden
Vince Edwards	...	Hamilton
Allen Nourse	...	Serl Whittier
Diane DeLaire	...	Hallie Whittier
Bart Braverman	...	Whit, as a Young Boy (as Bart Bradley)
Paul Dubov	...	Al
Tyler MacDuff	...	Nugent
Buck Kartalian	...	Monk
Eleanor Audley	...	Blanche
Thom Carney	...	Hatcheck Charlie
Joseph Forte	...	Lawyer (as Joe Forte)

Storyline

Whit, condemned and awaiting execution, reviews the events of his life that has brought him to Cell 2455 on San Quentin's Death Row, a story he had told in a autobiography that became a sensational best-seller. As a boy, the young Whit stole groceries to help feed his impoverished family, later moving on into major crime to impress a young gang moll, Jo-Anne, and turns into a cold-blooded thug when he is repudiated by the girl he loves, Doll. And by his own lawyer when he is arrested and tried as the infamous Lover's Lane Bandit. In cell 2455, he studies law to the point where he wins stay after stay, twice within minutes of his scheduled execution.

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Plot Keywords:

digit in title | prison | biopic | based on book | number in title

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Taglines:

Confession before the cameras by convicted "Lover's Lane" Bandit!

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Genres:

Biography | Crime | Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 April 1955 (USA)

Also Known As:

Cell Block

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

77 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In March 1958, this film was being shown on a double bill with Bitter Victory.

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Connections

Version of Cela da Morte (1958)

User Reviews

Lover's Lane Bandit

This film is a about a guy named Whit Whittier, (William Campbell) who is really playing the role of Caryl Chessman who wrote this book and is a person who has a long wrap sheet full of crime and eventually winds up on Death Row in San Quentin Prison, California. Whit grew up in a nice family in California and had a good home and a great mom and dad who loved him very much. However, Whit had his own ideas and decided to steal and got caught in almost everything he did and spent a great deal of time behind bars. As soon as Whit was released from prison he would join up with another bunch of crooks and face another jail sentence. He had a blonde sweetheart named Doll, (Marion Carr) who loved him and was faithful to him whenever he needed her help and love. There was a crime being committed by a man who was called the Lovers Lane Vandit who would creep up and attack young women who were with their boyfriends on a date and rape them. After awhile people began to suspect Whit Whittier as the man committing these crimes and he was then arrested and sent to prison. This is a true to life story about a man called Caryl Chessman who was killed on death row in 1960.