A little unbelievable in places, but worth watching for its criticisms of the criminal justice system, and for some of the performances. During the Depression all of America's institutions were subject to cynicism, and in the film we see that actual justice is less important than winning at trial, how things will play in the press, and what it all means for upcoming elections, which is all still so relevant today. Walter Huston is excellent as the D.A. turned prison warden, and the scene where he bravely enters the yard full of irate cons, smoking his cigar and staring them down, is the film's best. Phillips Holmes is earnest as the young man convicted following a barroom brawl, and it was interesting to compare the different codes the two men live by - the criminal code ("an eye for an eye"), and the prisoner's code of honor to not to rat on one another.
The film is sympathetic to both men and therefore seems to say that it's the system they're operating under that's the issue, which seems to be a little bit of a cop out, since the D.A. has a tremendous amount of power in America, and could certainly do the right thing. Where it really falters artistically, however, is in the inclusion of a silly love interest with the warden's daughter, played by Constance Cummings in her first film role. I loved seeing Boris Karloff though, who is glowering and brilliant as one of the inmates. Keep an eye out for a very cool circular bread slicing machine too.
The film is sympathetic to both men and therefore seems to say that it's the system they're operating under that's the issue, which seems to be a little bit of a cop out, since the D.A. has a tremendous amount of power in America, and could certainly do the right thing. Where it really falters artistically, however, is in the inclusion of a silly love interest with the warden's daughter, played by Constance Cummings in her first film role. I loved seeing Boris Karloff though, who is glowering and brilliant as one of the inmates. Keep an eye out for a very cool circular bread slicing machine too.