Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #18782 in VHS
• Released on: 1994-06-22
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Formats: Black & White, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of tapes: 1
• Running time: 86 minutes

Customer Reviews

Surprisingly Good
An unusual film from MGM, featuring a grim look to the harsh reality of prison conditions. Being an early talkie (1930), the first thing to surprise me favorably, was that the camera wasn't static at all, on the contrary there is as lot of camera movement indeed, showing lots of eye-catching angles of life in prison, especially of that big dining hall.

On the other hand, the pacing and the acting are both first rate, Chester Morris steals the film with his convincing performance of a forger finally finding the reason (love, what else?) for goin' straight; Wallace Beery gives another of those tough-guy performances (who after all, has a big heart hidden deep inside) he excelled at; and then newcomer, Robert Montgomery, is good as weak young lad, locked-in because of mansalughter.

A real discovery! Ought to look for more early talkies featuring this great tough-guy, forgotten actor, Chester Morris

Watch it!!!

A BOX-OFFICE SMASH IN 193O.
I was very pleased to find this long-obscure film on video. Still on of the most successful prison films ever produced, THE BIG HOUSE follows three inmates: a forger, a murderer, and a rather innocuous youth convicted of manslaughter. Big, brawny and wholly believable is Beery as the top bull con who settles fights and runs the yard: he plans a big break to escape the sadistic guards and the endless stoolpigeons. Weak-willed Montgomery informs the warden (Lewis Stone) of the impending escape attempt and the consequences which follow are horrific. Grimly realistic and often brutal, this was the Granddaddy of all prison films, exposing mean conditions, the paranoia, the vicious system that deepened criminal resolves among inmates. George Hill's uncomprimising direction captures all the ugliness and futility of prison life and Beery is perfect as the goonish ringleader of the inmates: half clown, half menace, soft-hearted, soft-headed, but with a killer instinct that is iron-willed. As the intelligent member of the threesome, Chester Morris is excellent. Young Montgomery had an uncharacteristic role as a spineless, despicable cringer wholly without character. The film was inspired by a particularly bloody riot in Auburn Prison in New York the previous year. The role of Butch Schmidt was originally intended for the terminally ill Lon Chaney, Sr. who would die soon after making his only talkie, THE UNHOLY THREE.

THE ONE AND ONLY PRISON FLICKER SHOW
DARK,GRITTY,TOUGH,DEPRESSING,NIGHTMARISH,BEERY,MORRIS,BUTCH cant be matched!