Prison Pictures From Hollywood

Part of the Encore Film Book Classics series, this is a reprint of the original text to Prison Pictures From Hollywood by James Robert Parish. "Pile out, you tramps. It's the end of the line," began Caged, a remarkable onscreen study of women behind bars released by Warner Bros. in 1950. The well-defined conventions of this motion picture and almost 300 others in the prison film genre are examined in this in-depth volume. Four major subgenres emerge: biting sociological studies (e.g., I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang, 1932), raucous comedies (e.g., Stir Crazy, 1980), rugged black action pictures (e.g., Riot, 1968), and titillating exploitation entries (e.g., Chained Heat, 1985). Comprehensive cast/character and technical listings and an essay blending synopsis, contemporary review quotes, and production details with costs and penetrating analysis are given for each feature film examined in this detailed volume. Coverage includes both silent and sound feature films from Hollywood as well as American-made TV movies. For anyone interested in how Hollywood has depicted life behind bars over the decades, Prison Pictures From Hollywood is a revelatory must read.