# TCM Wednesday: Prison movies! Some of best of that genre.

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tcm-wednesday-prison-movies-some-of-best-of-that-genre/341365
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [January 24, 2006, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tcm-wednesday-prison-movies-some-of-best-of-that-genre/341365 "2006-01-24T07:20:43Z")
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### Author: ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2006, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tcm-wednesday-prison-movies-some-of-best-of-that-genre/341365/1 "2006-01-24T07:20:43Z")

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3:00am PST/6:00am EST  
\*\*The Big House \*\*(1930)  
One of the all-time greatest prison movies. Robert Montgomery and Wallace Beery, in this very early talkie.

4:30am PST/7:30am EST  
**20,000 Years In Sing Sing** (1932)  
Classic teaming of Spencer Tracy and Bette Davis, directed by the great Michael Curtiz (_Casablanca, Mildred Pierce_).

6:00am PST/9:00am EST  
\*\*Hell’s Highway \*\*(1932)  
Haven’t seen. Has a reputation for being pretty racy, even for pre-code; acknowledges sexual and racial issues which the code would soon sweep under the cultural rug.

7:15am PST/10:15am EST  
\*\*I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang \*\*(1932)  
Gritty masterpiece, starring one of the greatest actors in the history of film, Paul Muni. Absolutely essential viewing.

9:00am PST/12:00pm EST  
\*\*San Quentin \*\*(1937)  
Haven’t seen, but with Humphrey Bogart and Pat O’Brien, I imagine it’s worth a viewing.

10:15am PST/1:15pm EST  
\*\*House of Numbers \*\*(1957)  
Hmm. Jack Palance plays good/evil twins. Could be interesting.

12:00pm PST/3:00pm EST  
\*\*Ladies They Talk About \*\*(1933)  
Pre-Code Barbara Stanwyck! A pre-code women in prison flick! Miss Barbara plays a female prisoner named Nan! C’mon, how could this be any better?

1:30pm PST/4:30pm EST  
\*\*Condemned Women \*\*(1938)  
Hm. Doesn’t seem to have a whole lot to recommend it. Still, a 1930’s women in prison flick has got to be good for something, right?

3:00pm PST/6:00pm EST  
\*\*Castle On The Hudson \*\*(1940)  
A remake of 20,000 Years in Sing Sing, starring the great John Garfield. Directed by the uneven (_Tovarich, Sorry, Wrong Number, The Snake Pit_), but amusingly bitter about Alfred Hitchcock’s success Anatole Litvak.