Prison Break (1938)

Prison Break
Directed by Arthur Lubin
Written by Dorothy Davenport; story by Norman S. Parker
1938/USA
Universal Pictures
First viewing; Netflix rental

Despite the usually reliable leads, I thought this was a bit of a stinker.

Good-guy Joaquin Shannon (Barton MacLane) is a tuna fisherman and pillar of the community.  For some unexplained reason, the father and brother of his sweetie Jean (Glenda Farrell) will do anything to prevent their relationship.  One night, Jean’s brother goes to a bar where Joaquin is hosting a bachelor party for Joaquin’s brother Chris.  Chris gets very drunk at the party.  In the meantime, shady character Big Red Kincaid (Ward Bond) spots Jean’s brother’s bankroll at the bar and kills him in the street.  When Chris walks up the stranger clobbers Chris and flees.  Joaquin comes upon this scene and assumes Chris killed the brother.  He takes the rap for manslaughter and goes to prison for 1 – 10 years.  His plan is to be on good behavior for a year and earn parole. But naturally Big Red turns up and Joaquin’s life both inside and, eventually outside, the prison is one fight after another, through no fault of Joaquin.  There is no on-screen prison break.

Believe it or not, my plot summary takes up well less than half of this 72 minute movie and I left out the extensive fishing scenes at the beginning.  I also left out the many ridiculous deus ex machinas included in the second half.   Despite the crowded story, I thought the movie dragged terribly.  The director is better known for the series of Abbott and Costello movies.  His forte is clearly not drama.