A prison warden fights to prove one of his inmates was wrongly convicted.
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Reviews
CinemaSerf
6
By CinemaSerf
"Joe" (Glenn Ford) gets embroiled in a bar room brawl that sees him punch a man to the floor. Unfortunately for him, the man dies and soon he is in from of the district attorney "Knowland" (Broderick Crawford) who, whilst sympathetic, warns him that a sentence of between one and ten years looms. Initially well behaved and obedient of the rules, he soon loses faith as it becomes clear that the parole board have no immediate interest in releasing him and solitary confinement beckons. Some years into his sentence, "Knowland" is appointed governor of the prison and recalling that case makes him chauffeur to him and his daughter "Kay" (Dorothy Malone). Meantime, there is a rat in the prison and his fellow inmates know it. Sacred to death, he must take refuge with the governor, but will that keep him safe? I just never really warmed to Glenn Ford. He was always a bit too insipid for me, especially when cast in grittier roles. Here he is adequate and helped greatly by a decent performance from Crawford and a strong supporting cast led by the villainous "Malloby" (Millard Mitchell) who brings this to an head nicely. It is a bit long, sags in the middle and can be a bit wordy, but it's a solid story with some equally robust characterisations that is at the better end of the genre and is well worth a watch.
