Prison Escape

RIOT-1968-Three convicts (Jim Brown, Gene Hackman and Mike Kellin) take over the isolation unit of a (real) Arizona prison after their failed attempt at a breakout and pretend they are leading protests over the conditions and treatment of their fellow prisoners. Brown as Cully Briston is the only level headed one and he roughs up some cons who want to kill some hostages. He also has a dream that he lives in a mansion surrounded by beautiful women. Red Fraker (Hackman) is the brains behind the plan who knows of a secret tunnel which could be the key to their freedom. Later Cully gets most of the inmates drunk on homemade hooch. An American Indian named Surefoot (Ben Carruthers) causes trouble that leads to several deaths in this violent but fairly realistic prison drama. Big Jim is the only one to actually escape and according to the movie is “still at large”. Gerald S. O'Loughlin plays a mean prison guard who's beaten to death. 

Director Buzz Kulik used a real prison and inmates for this action filled but hardly remembered little flick made several years before Hackman became a star with THE FRENCH CONNECTION (1971) and Brown struck blaxpolitation gold with SLAUGHTER and it's sequel. Director Kulik worked primarily in TV (since the early '50's; he directed at least 9 TWILIGHT ZONE episodes) but around this time made several features. He later made many well known TV movies (BRIAN'S SONG, BAD RONALD, FROM HERE TO ENTERNITY mini-series). 

RIOT is based a novel by Frank Elli and screenwriter James Poe also penned THE SHOOT HORSES DON'T THEY the same year. At the time he was married to Barbara Steele.

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Bad Girls

SO YOUNG SO BAD-1950-CASABLANCA's Paul Henreid stars as Dr. Jason, a psychiatrist sent to a girls reform school to help out. He runs into a lot of bureaucracy and is hindered in his progress to help the troubled girls by the uncaring staff. Catherine McLeod plays Ruth, a social worker who resents Jason's presence. He and Ruth have a heated debate on a moving merry go round! Mike Kellin has a few brief shots as the operator and some seem to think a guy selling balloons looks a lot like Phil Silvers! Jason tries to expose the sweat shop like conditions and ignorance of Mr. Riggs, the idiot who’s in charge. At one point, the girls sneak a rabbit into the school and a matron stomps it to death! The girls then riot and set fire to the school. As punishment some of the girls are hosed down like Charlton Heston in PLANET OF THE APES! Later Jason kind of blackmails Riggs into letting him run the school his way. He does do a lot of good but when the evil matron punishes one of the girls by cutting her hair, suicide, deception and an inquiry that could lead to Jason's dismissal follow.

It’s an earnest low budget little movie but the most interesting thing about it really is that it introduces three actresses who went on to famous careers: Anne Jackson, Ann Francis and Rita Moreno! Director Bernard Vorhaus also made THE AMAZING DR. X.

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