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IMDbPro

Prison Break

  • 19381938
  • ApprovedApproved
  • 1h 12m
IMDb RATING
6.1/10
285
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
172,696
33,214
Glenda Farrell and Barton MacLane in Prison Break (1938)
CrimeDramaThriller
Joaquin Shannon arrives home from a cruise on his fishing boat. His first mate, Charles Nelson, is to marry Shannon's sister the next day. Nelson gets drunk and Shannon finds him near the un... Read allJoaquin Shannon arrives home from a cruise on his fishing boat. His first mate, Charles Nelson, is to marry Shannon's sister the next day. Nelson gets drunk and Shannon finds him near the unconscious body of a man that he, Shannon, had been fighting with previously. The man dies ... Read allJoaquin Shannon arrives home from a cruise on his fishing boat. His first mate, Charles Nelson, is to marry Shannon's sister the next day. Nelson gets drunk and Shannon finds him near the unconscious body of a man that he, Shannon, had been fighting with previously. The man dies and Shannon takes the blame and goes to prison. There he gets into trouble instigated by "... Read all
IMDb RATING
6.1/10
285
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
172,696
33,214
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Arthur Lubin
    • Writers
      • Norton S. Parker(screenplay)
      • Dorothy Davenport(screenplay)
    • Stars
      • Barton MacLane
      • Glenda Farrell
      • Paul Hurst
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Arthur Lubin
    • Writers
      • Norton S. Parker(screenplay)
      • Dorothy Davenport(screenplay)
    • Stars
      • Barton MacLane
      • Glenda Farrell
      • Paul Hurst
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 12User reviews
    • 3Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • Photos154

    Barton MacLane in Prison Break (1938)
    Glenda Farrell and Barton MacLane in Prison Break (1938)
    Prison Break (1938)
    Prison Break (1938)
    Prison Break (1938)
    Prison Break (1938)
    Prison Break (1938)
    Prison Break (1938)
    Glenda Farrell and Paul Hurst in Prison Break (1938)
    Glenda Farrell and Barton MacLane in Prison Break (1938)
    Barton MacLane in Prison Break (1938)
    Glenda Farrell in Prison Break (1938)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Barton MacLane
    Barton MacLane
    • Joaquin Shannon
    Glenda Farrell
    Glenda Farrell
    • Jean Fenderson
    Paul Hurst
    Paul Hurst
    • Soapy
    Constance Moore
    Constance Moore
    • Maria Shannon
    Edward Pawley
    Edward Pawley
    • Joe Fenderson
    Edmund MacDonald
    Edmund MacDonald
    • Chris Nelson
    Ward Bond
    Ward Bond
    • Big Red Kincaid
    Guy Usher
    • Warden
    Victor Kilian
    Victor Kilian
    • Fenderson
    Frank Darien
    Frank Darien
    • Cappy
    George Cleveland
    George Cleveland
    • Ding
    Johnny Russell
    Johnny Russell
    • Jackie
    • (as John Russell)
    Thomas Louden
    • The Priest
    Paul Everton
    Paul Everton
    • Judge at Joaquin's Trial
    Roy Barcroft
    Roy Barcroft
    • Captain of the Prison Guard
    • (uncredited)
    Horace B. Carpenter
    Horace B. Carpenter
    • Tuna Fisherman at Party
    • (uncredited)
    Ralph Dunn
    Ralph Dunn
    • Detective
    • (uncredited)
    John Elliott
    John Elliott
    • Parole Board Member
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Arthur Lubin
    • Writers
      • Norton S. Parker(screenplay) (story "Walls of San Quentin")
      • Dorothy Davenport(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Connections
      Referenced in The Player (1992)

    User reviews12

    Review
    Top review
    7/10
    Struggle of a good man against society.
    In one of his rare appearances as a lead, Barton MacLane gives what may be his best performance, playing the part of Joaquin Shannon, an Irish-Portuguese tuna fisherman off the Southern California coast who, due to his protection of his younger brother, is wrongfully convicted of manslaughter and sent to prison. The film has an apparent message, i.e., that a parolee has few rights as a citizen, but this takes up little filmic space while the struggle of Shannon to clear his name produces plenty of action, both in and out of the penitentiary, as he must deal with a cruel adversary, Red Kinkaid (Ward Bond) and still find time to woo his sweetheart, played by Glenda Farrell in one of her softer roles. As opposed to today, the Depression era status of released convicts, as this 1938 work demonstrates, proscribed their marrying, and this disappointment in addition to Shannon's inability to find a job propels him into situations which bring about a showdown with the dangerous Kincaid, for whom Shannon unwittingly served his time. Routinely directed by journeyman Arthur Lubin, the film benefits from effective editing by Jack Ogilvie and skillful work by cinematographer Harry Neumann, with scenes varied among commercial ocean fishing, penitentiary life, taverns,and fog-bestrewn docks preventing any slowdown during this rapidly paced movie, although both dialogue and action are marked by cliche and are somewhat predictable. MacLane's staunch performance is matched in impact by the vigorous Bond, while Farrell, although quick with a quip as ever, is rather winning in her turn as a steadfast paramour; others displaying strong interpretations are Victor Kilian as Farrell's father and Paul Hurst as a convict on the lam.
    helpful•15
    1
    • rsoonsa
    • Sep 14, 2001

    FAQ1

    • Is this available on DVD?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • July 12, 1938 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Uppror i fängelset
    • Filming locations
      • Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Trem Carr Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 12 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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