State Penitentiary
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Lew Landers
Warner Baxter
Onslow Stevens
Karin Booth
Robert Shayne
Richard Benedict
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Although he insists that he is innocent, Roger Manners, the president of Manners Aircraft Corporation, is convicted of embezzling $400,000 and sentenced to the Nevada State Penitentiary. Because of his background in electrical engineering, he is assigned to work on installing a new water system for the prison. In the course of a search for the stolen $400,000, which has never been recovered, attorney Jim Evans questions Roger and his wife Shirley, and promises Shirley ten percent of the money as a reward if she reveals its hiding place. Both Roger and Shirley are puzzled that Roger's former partner, Stanley Brown, testified against him at his trial. Stan has subsequently retired to Florida, where he is raising orchids. Shirley visits Stan, and soon, they appear everywhere as a couple. When Shirley, who is pretending to be in love with Stan, suggests that she divorce Roger, Stan agrees enthusiastically. One visitors' day, Evans shows Roger a newspaper clipping speculating on Shirley's possible divorce. Later, Tony Gavin, one of the prisoners, asks Roger, who now works in the valve room, to join an escape through the water pipes. When Roger refuses, Gavin holds him at gunpoint and shuts off the water pump. The escape attempt is thwarted when the warden orders Roger to turn the water on again after Gavin and the others enter the pipe. The convicts blame Roger for their failure and beat him. Evans visits the recovering Roger in the prison hospital and again tells him that Shirley plans to marry Stan. Roger then asks for forty-eight hours of freedom, promising to find the money in that time. When the warden turns down his request, Roger escapes. He works his way to Florida, where Evans overtakes him, but Roger convinces Evans to help him recover the stolen funds. Meanwhile, Shirley has discovered that Stan has hidden the money under his orchid plants. Holding him at gunpoint, Shirley explains that she will use the money to clear Roger. Just then, Roger and Evans arrive at Stan's house, and a shootout ensues. His name cleared, Roger is released from prison and joins a waiting Shirley.
Director
Lew Landers
Cast
Warner Baxter
Onslow Stevens
Karin Booth
Robert Shayne
Richard Benedict
Brett King
John Bleifer
Leo T. Cleary
Rick Vallin
Rusty Wescoatt
William Fawcett
John Hart
Crew
Mischa Bakaleinikoff
Frank Burt
Sidney Clifford
Carter Dehaven Jr.
Howard J. Green
Henry E. Helseth
Sam Katzman
Herbert Leonard
Robert Libott
Ira H. Morgan
Paul Palmentola
James Sweeney
Josh Westmoreland
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The film begins with the following written foreword: "The prison scenes in this film were photographed in the state penitentiary at Carson City, Nevada. This is the first time in the history of this institution that a motion picture camera has been permitted within its walls. For this privilege we gratefully acknowledge the cooperation and assistance of his excellency, Vail Pittman, governor of Nevada, Richard H. Sheehy, warden of the Nevada State Penitentiary and the inmates-whose participation made this film possible."
