A Pair of Palances

 

 (imdb)

HOUSE OF NUMBERS-1957-Arnie Judlow (Jack Palance) is in San Quentin after killing a man. His wife Ruth (Barbara Lang) and his twin brother Bill (also Palance) plan to help him escape. It's a little complicated and dangerous, playing on the twin aspect. They switch roles and Bill meets cellmate Frenchy (Timothy Carey with a hearing aid) while Arnie builds a hiding place at night. Later, Bill leaves the prison and Arnie plans his escape. He breaks out but nosy prison guard Hank Nova (Harold J. Stone) makes too many educated guesses. Edward Platt is a helpful warden. 

Far-fetched but enjoyable film noir with Palance good in the dual role. Earlier director Russell Rouse had written D.O.A. (1949) and directed THE THIEF (1952), a movie with no dialogue and WICKED WOMAN (1953) starring his wife, Beverley Michaels. He later directed THE OSCAR (1966), sometimes named one of the worst movies ever made. Hey! Nobody's perfect!

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Alcatraz

 

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ALCATRAZ BREAKOUT-1975-Grant (Gary Boyd), a bank robber whose sentence has been increased several times because of several failed escape attempts is sent to "The Rock". He becomes friends with an inmate named Frazier (Ray Myles) and plans an escape. He almost succeeds but is somehow caught and brought back. After 90 days in solitary his wife comes to visit him (the actress who plays her seems comatose; I believe it was the director's wife). Later he tries again to escape and that fails. He tries one more time and fails forever. 

This was directed by Nick Millard (CRIMINALLY INSANE 1 & 2, DOCTOR BLOODBATH (1987)) using the pseudonym, Jan Anders. A tedious mess despite the under an hour running time.

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Tne Big House

 

(IMDB)

BIG HOUSE USA-1955-Jerry Barker (Ralph Meeker) botches the kidnapping of the son of a rich guy (Willis Bouchey) when the kid is killed escaping. Ranger Chief Erickson (Roy Roberts) and FBI agent Madden (Reed Hadley) arrest him but can only find him guilty of extortion. The warden (un-billed Stafford Repp) puts him in "the lion's den", a cell with 4 notorious criminals: Machine Gun Mason (William Talman), Benny Kelly (Charles Bronson), Alamo Smith (Lon Chaney) and Rollo LaMar (Broderick Crawford). Notoriously nicknamed "the Iceman" Barker becomes the most hated prisoner there. However his four cell mates are planning a prison break and LaMar wants Barker to go with them so he can get the un-recovered ransom money. They succeed in escaping but LaMar is too tough for his own good. 

This gritty little prison drama was the second feature directed by Howard Koch. He went on to direct stuff like UNTAMED YOUTH, BOP GIRL GOES CALYPSO and THE GIRL IN BLACK STOCKINGS (all in 1957). He also produced many low to medium budget films including horror films like THE BLACK SLEEP, VOODOO ISLAND, FRANKENSTEIN 1970 and THE PHARAOH'S CURSE. In the 1970's he produced several episodes of “The Annual Academy Awards TV Show”.

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Corman's Swamp

 

SWAMP DIAMONDS-1956-In New Orleans during Mardi Gras, a female police Lt. Lee Hampton (Carole Mathews) poses as a hardened criminal to infiltrate The Nardo gang or at least the women serving life sentences for a jewelry robbery their men were executed for. Their leader is Josie Nardo (Marie Windsor) plus the flirty Billie (Jill Jarym) and the trigger happy high strung Vera (Beverly Garland). Hampton plans their escape and they head for a Bayou swamp to get their stash. When their boat springs a leak they confiscate a boat carrying oil speculator Bob (Mike Connors) and his dumb girlfriend Marie (Susan Cummings). Their guide is killed and the gang for some reason take the pair hostage. The women argue, fight, lust after Bob and verbally abuse Marie who tries to sell out Bob and winds up alligator bait when she tries to escape. They find the diamonds and get happy but Vera steals the diamonds (and Bob). When the remaining members go after her she tries to ambush them but is killed. Hampton over powers the remaining two and rescues Bob (who has no idea she's undercover) just as the police arrive. Ed Nelson (as a police officer) and Jonathan Haze (as a pickpocket) have small roles at the beginning of the film. 

Also known as SWAMP WOMEN, this kind of crazy in color women out of prison movie was made by Roger Corman a year after his first science fiction film (and third movie) THE DAY THE WORLD ENDED (also with Connors). The same year he also made IT CONQUERED THE WORLD and two westerns GUNSLINGER (also with Garland) and OKLAHOMA WOMAN. Parts of it are fairly improbable but it's still fun with Beverly Garland giving a good performance as the ruthless Vera.

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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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