Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily Entertainment GuideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsCannes Film FestivalStar WarsAsian Pacific American Heritage MonthSummer Watch GuideSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • FAQ
IMDbPro

Brute Force

  • 1947
  • Approved
  • 1h 38m
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
12K
YOUR RATING
Burt Lancaster in Brute Force (1947)
Trailer for this black and white prison drama
Play trailer2:14
1 Video
91 Photos
Film NoirPrison DramaCrimeDramaThriller

At a tough penitentiary, prisoner Joe Collins plans to rebel against Captain Munsey, the power-mad chief guard.At a tough penitentiary, prisoner Joe Collins plans to rebel against Captain Munsey, the power-mad chief guard.At a tough penitentiary, prisoner Joe Collins plans to rebel against Captain Munsey, the power-mad chief guard.

  • Director
    • Jules Dassin
  • Writers
    • Richard Brooks
    • Robert Patterson
  • Stars
    • Burt Lancaster
    • Hume Cronyn
    • Charles Bickford
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.5/10
    12K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Jules Dassin
    • Writers
      • Richard Brooks
      • Robert Patterson
    • Stars
      • Burt Lancaster
      • Hume Cronyn
      • Charles Bickford
    • 105User reviews
    • 71Critic reviews
    • 80Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 4 wins total

    Videos1

    Brute Force
    Trailer 2:14
    Brute Force

    Photos91

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 84
    View Poster

    Top cast91

    Edit
    Burt Lancaster
    Burt Lancaster
    • Joe Collins
    Hume Cronyn
    Hume Cronyn
    • Capt. Munsey
    Charles Bickford
    Charles Bickford
    • Gallagher
    Yvonne De Carlo
    Yvonne De Carlo
    • Gina Ferrara
    Ann Blyth
    Ann Blyth
    • Ruth
    Ella Raines
    Ella Raines
    • Cora Lister
    Anita Colby
    Anita Colby
    • Flossie
    Sam Levene
    Sam Levene
    • Louie Miller
    Jeff Corey
    Jeff Corey
    • 'Freshman' Stack
    John Hoyt
    John Hoyt
    • Spencer
    Jack Overman
    Jack Overman
    • Kid Coy
    Roman Bohnen
    Roman Bohnen
    • Warden A.J. Barnes
    Sir Lancelot
    Sir Lancelot
    • 'Calypso' James
    Vince Barnett
    Vince Barnett
    • Muggsy - Convict in Kitchen
    Jay C. Flippen
    Jay C. Flippen
    • Hodges - Guard
    Richard Gaines
    Richard Gaines
    • McCallum
    Frank Puglia
    Frank Puglia
    • Signore Ferrara
    James Bell
    James Bell
    • Crenshaw - Convict in Print Shop
    • Director
      • Jules Dassin
    • Writers
      • Richard Brooks
      • Robert Patterson
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews105

    7.512.2K
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10

    Featured reviews

    thinker1691

    " Stone Walls do not a Prison Make, Nor Iron Bars a Cage "

    In every society, there are certain men who for lack of a Good Attorney, or perhaps, a bad decision on their part, they find themselves at the receiving end of court inflicted judgment. One thing societies forget or may be they don't want to know, is that the men they have imprisoned, will eventually get out. The harshness of their punishment at the hands of the Warden or the Prison Guards is what drives inmates to remember how to treat their next victim when they do get out. In this Robert Patterson story, " Brute Force " our hero is one Joe Collins (Burt Lancaster) who comes to the attention of a most sadistic Captain of the Guards named Munsey (Hume Cronyn) (superior acting) who prides himself in knowing how to rule. His egotistic style pits him against Collins and every other prisoner at the prison. Directed by Jules Dassin, this early Black and White movie is a great example of find casting of superior talent. Men who will make their mark in other superior movies. Men such as Jeff Corey, Jay C. Flippen, Howard Duff and Whit Bissell. Throughout this story, audiences hate to root for the hero, as he is a convict. Nevertheless, when it comes to Burt Lancaster, we cannot help but feel that he may yet succeed. The end result of this memorable film is the making of a Classic and in looking back, few can argue otherwise. Superb Movie. ****
    boris-26

    Brief review

    Burt Lancaster and cellmates plot a daring breakout. Okay, sounds like a thousand other prison movies, but what makes this the top of the prison genre are the elements. Watching the characters in this gem is like staring down a cobra- they're so fascinating. There are the unique cellmates: meak accountant Whit Bissell driven over the edge, a learned, elder prisoner (Charles Bickford) the tough Burt Lancaster, etc. etc. Most memorable is Hume Cronyn (his greatest film performance) as the soft spoken, neat-nick psychotic Captain Munsey, a prison official who takes so much delight in beating prisoners, he plays his favorite music and strips to his t-shirt during beatings! Grand screenwriting by future director Richard Brooks. Cellmates have only one wall decoration, a picture of a glamour girl. She reminds each cellmate of a different woman who caused them to do time. The dialog crackles loudly: (Sample- Bickford to Lancaster about a cellmate plotting a break: "He said next Tuesday is the day of the break. He's been saying that about every Tuesday for the last twelve years. Twelve years from now, he'll be saying the same thing....") Hey Universal, put this wonderful classic on VHS!
    9hitchcockthelegend

    Prison Noir!

    This is Westgate Penitentiary, the Warden is a weak man, the prison is practically run by the cruel and highly ambitious Captain Munsey. But the prisoners are no walk overs, they deal their own justice to those that don't tow the line, tired and fed up of mistreatment, and fuelled by the Munsey influenced suicide of a popular inmate, the prisoners, led by big Joe Collins, plot a break out, the fear of failure not even an option.

    Brute Force is a cracking moody picture directed with innovation by Jules Dassin and starring Burt Lancaster (brilliant as Joe Collins), Hume Cronyn (Munsey), Charles Bickford (Gallagher) and lady support (shown in excellent flashbacks) from Yvonne De Carlo, Ann Blyth, Ella Raines and Anita Colby. We open in the pouring rain at the monolithic gates of Westgate Penitentiary, Dassin's camera looking up at the gate like some foreboding warning, William Daniels black and white photography is stark and making its point, all this as Miklos Rozsa's score thunders in our ears, it's clear that this is going to be a mean and moody prison picture.

    So it proves to be, sure all the formula traits that lace most prison films are in here, but Dassin and his team have managed to harness an oppressive feel to put us the viewer within the walls of Westgate as well. This is a bleak place, there are six men to a prison cell, their only chance of staying sane is memories of loved ones and a unified spirit to not be put upon by the vile Munsey, we are privy to everything, we ourselves are part of the furniture. Brute Force thankfully doesn't disappoint with its ending, the tension has been built up perfectly, the mood is set, so when the ending comes it's explosive and a truly fitting finale to what has been a first rate prison drama. 9/10
    BJJ-2

    Ahead of It's Time

    For the era it was made(late 1940's),BRUTE FORCE is surprisingly brutal and vicious in places,pre-dating similar antics from James Cagney two years later in WHITE HEAT. The majority of Hollywood prison movies seem to have riots in them and this is no exception,but BRUTE FORCE has arguably the most explosive of the lot,with tear gas,shootings,and killings galore. Mind you,with a warder as brutal as Hume Cronyn(who sadly died recently)in charge,it's no wonder.His psychological bulling of mild-mannered inmate Whit Bissell leads to the former's suicide,and savage beating of Sam Levene results in near death. The misery,waste,and isolation of prison life is well observed here,with fine performances all round,but especially from Cronyn and Jeff Corey,as a cringing,cowardly informer,both of whom incur the rage of the intense Burt Lancaster.
    8Bunuel1976

    BRUTE FORCE (Jules Dassin, 1947) ***1/2

    Though I'd only previously watched this movie once almost 25 years ago on a long-defunct Sicilian TV channel called Antenna 10, some scenes have stuck with me to this day and being able to reacquaint myself with the film was a long-cherished prospect which, thanks to Criterion, I now have.

    The film is the epitome of the great, hard-hitting prison dramas of the 1930s, but the style in which it was filmed also makes it fall in the "Film Noir" category. This was only Burt Lancaster's second movie but he is already a tough, powerful screen presence and his character is one of the most respected within the prison community. The casting (in characterizations which would be much imitated in subsequent prison films) is perfection: pint-sized Hume Cronyn is very effectively cast against type as the quintessential brutal prison captain of the guards, Charles Bickford is the bigwig inmate who gets things done, Sam Levene is his reporter sidekick. Lancaster's gang includes Howard Duff (making his film debut), Jeff Corey (as a surprising 'rat'), suave ladies' man John Hoyt and Whit Bissell as the most vulnerable and least likely inmate who falls victim to Cronyn's "brute force". There's also Jay C. Flippen as an easy-going prison guard, Sir Lancelot as a happy-go-lucky jack-of-all-trades whose songs often sarcastically comment on the action, Vince Barnett as an old-timer who brings food (and messages) to the most dangerous inmates currently serving in the drainpipes, and an uncredited Charles McGraw as an arms dealer. Actually, one of the best roles in the film – the alcoholic, philosophizing prison doctor who is the only one genuinely interested in the fate of his "patients" – is splendidly portrayed by an actor who was unknown to me, Art Smith, and his confrontations with Cronyn offer some of the film's quiet highlights.

    While the film itself offers relatively little new in terms of plot – a few of the prisoners are planning a breakout, the sadistic and power-hungry captain is more evil than the inmates themselves, an informer is punished during a staged scuffle, a traitor is present within Lancaster's gang, the climactic escape is a botched massacre, etc – and some of the plot points rather contrived – Sam Levene being sent to the drainpipes, which results in his being tortured by Cronyn – but Dassin's assured handling still makes all of these situations work superbly well. Ironically, after a period directing mostly light fare, this was the start of a peerless run of five noir classics – culminating in his celebrated caper film, RIFIFI (1955), made while exiled in France. Curiously enough, another Hollywood exile would later on basically make the British equivalent of BRUTE FORCE – i.e. Joseph Losey's exceptional THE CRIMINAL (1960) – while the failed prison break (in similar circumstances) also brings to mind Jacques Becker's masterful swan song, LE TROU (1960).

    Like THE KILLERS (1946) before it, this was a Mark Hellinger production (it features no less than four actors from that film) and so would be Dassin's follow-up – THE NAKED CITY (1948). Miklos Rozsa's music is very good and subtly underscores the action. Unfortunately, the four flashback sequences added to the film to show that the hardened criminals here are good-natured people at heart, are mostly redundant and basically only serve to provide some female interest to the story; still, they are brief enough not be detrimental to the film's overall uncompromising bleakness. Incidentally, while screenwriter Richard Brooks was involved in this capacity with several noirs – the others being THE KILLERS itself, CROSSFIRE (1947), KEY LARGO (1948) and MYSTERY STREET (1950; which I recently acquired via Warners' fourth "Film Noir Collection" but have yet to watch) – he never revisited the genre once he graduated to the director's chair (though some sources do list his Mexican Revolution-set CRISIS [1950] and the crusading newspaper story DEADLINE – U.S.A. [1952] under this flexible banner).

    More like this

    The Naked City
    7.5
    The Naked City
    Thieves' Highway
    7.5
    Thieves' Highway
    Night and the City
    7.8
    Night and the City
    Crossfire
    7.3
    Crossfire
    Criss Cross
    7.4
    Criss Cross
    The Killers
    7.7
    The Killers
    None Shall Escape
    7.0
    None Shall Escape
    Hangmen Also Die!
    7.4
    Hangmen Also Die!
    Odd Man Out
    7.6
    Odd Man Out
    Pickup on South Street
    7.6
    Pickup on South Street
    Gun Crazy
    7.6
    Gun Crazy
    Intruder in the Dust
    7.6
    Intruder in the Dust

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The second of three films that Burt Lancaster made for producer Mark Hellinger who discovered the former acrobat and turned him into a movie star. The first of these was Robert Siodmak's "The Killers" in 1946, and the last, "Criss-Cross" in 1949, also for Siodmak, a film Hellinger never lived to see, as he died before production began.
    • Goofs
      Soldier is in prison after taking the blame for a murder that took place when he was serving in Italy with the U.S. Army. Therefore, he would not have been in a civilian state prison. He would have been sent to the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, as he would have been court-martialed while still being a member of the U.S. Army. At the least, he would have been sent to a federal prison if he'd somehow (highly unlikely) been able to get sent to a civilian facility.
    • Quotes

      Spencer: She wanted all the money I'd won, and I never refuse a lady. Especially when she's armed.

    • Crazy credits
      Starring Burt Lancaster - Hume Cronyn - Charles Bickford as the men on the "Inside" Yvonne De Carlo - Ann Blyth - Ella Raines - Anita Colby as the women on the "Outside"
    • Connections
      Edited into Histoire(s) du cinéma: Seul le cinéma (1994)
    • Soundtracks
      Tannhäuser Overture
      (uncredited)

      Written by Richard Wagner

      Heard when Munsey is interrogating the convict

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    FAQ16

    • How long is Brute Force?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 1947 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Fuerza bruta
    • Filming locations
      • Sacramento River, California, USA(background footage)
    • Production company
      • Mark Hellinger Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 38 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Burt Lancaster in Brute Force (1947)
    Top Gap
    What is the French language plot outline for Brute Force (1947)?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb app
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb app
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb app
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.