Penitentiary
Cast & Crew
John Brahm
Walter Connolly
John Howard
Jean Parker
Robert Barrat
Marc Lawrence
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
William Jordan, a naive young man celebrating his twenty-first birthday, is arrested after he hits a man who was acting improperly toward his friend, Blanche Williams, and the man, the son of an influential banker, dies. District attorney Thomas Matthews knows that a good attorney could win an acquittal for Will, but he convinces Leonard Nettleford, Will's ill-equipped counsel, to plead manslaughter in the case. After serving six years of a ten-year sentence, Will learns that his mother has died, and Matthews, the new prison warden, at the request of the prison doctor, allows Will to work as chauffeur to his daughter, Elizabeth. Will quickly falls in love with Elizabeth and tells her that parole is unimportant when compared to being with her. Meanwhile, Will's cellmates, Jack Hawkins and Finch, are planning an escape with Tex and Runch. During the escape, Finch is killed and Runch seeks refuge in Matthews' office, thereby marking himself an informer. Then, just as Will is about to be paroled, Runch is killed by Hawkins and Matthews tries to get Will to talk. However, Will refuses to break the "criminal code" by informing on a fellow prisoner. The heartless Captain Grady, who sent Hawkins back to jail for breaking parole by drinking a beer, sends Will to the dungeon run. Elizabeth informs her father that she loves Will, and just as Matthews is about to order Will paroled, he learns that Hawkins has killed Grady because he did not want Will to be forced to take the rap for Runch's death. After Hawkins admits killing Runch, he is shot, and Will and Elizabeth leave the prison together.
Director
John Brahm
Cast
Walter Connolly
John Howard
Jean Parker
Robert Barrat
Marc Lawrence
Arthur Hohl
Dick Curtis
Paul Fix
Marjorie Main
Edward Van Sloan
Ann Doran
Richard Elliott
Charles Halton
Thurston Hall
Ward Bond
John Gallaudet
Stanley Andrews
James Flavin
Perry Ivins
Gennaro Curci
Al Hill
Lee Prather
Jack Dougherty
Ethan Laidlaw
Frank Mayo
Harry Hollingsworth
Frank Meredith
Lee Shumway
George Chesebro
Frank O'connor
Charles Mcmurphy
Edward Hearn
Bud Marshall
Edward Peil Sr.
Bud Geary
Eric Wilton
Robert Allen
Bruce Mitchell
Billy Arnold
Lester Dorr
Ray Johnson
Frank Wayne
Ed Randolph
Al Rhein
Jack Perry
Frank Mills
Cy Schindell
Oscar G. Hendrian
George Hoey
Earl Bunn
Bill Lally
Art Dupuis
William Chapman
Kernan Cripps
George Magrill
Russell Heustis
Ralph Brooks
Louise Stanley
Bess Flowers
Crew
Lucien Ballard
Lionel Banks
Arthur S. Black
Martin Flavin
Frank Goodwin
Stephen Goosson
Viola Lawrence
Seton I. Miller
Fred Niblo Jr.
Robert North
Phil Shore
Morris Stoloff
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
An earlier film adaptation of Martin Flavin's play was made by Columbia in 1931 under the title The Criminal Code, directed by Howard Hawks and starring Walter Huston. The story was adapted a third time by Columbia in 1950 as Convicted, with Henry Levin directing and Glenn Ford and Broderick Crawford starring.
