Big House, USA

Director: Howard W. Koch Howard W. Koch

Overview

In this violent, gripping drama, a ruthless criminal kidnaps a little boy and takes him into the Colorado wilderness where, unfortunately, the lad accidentally dies in a terrible fall. This doesn't stop the crook from collecting and hiding a substantial ransom. He is eventually captured and imprisoned. There he hooks up with four other bad apples and together they escape and go looking for the money. These criminals are desperate and will stop at nothing to reach their goal. One of them is a true psychopath and the cops and FBI agents must hurry before more blood is spilled.

Product Details

Release Date:	01/15/2011
UPC:	0883904237839
Original Release:	1955
Source:	Mgm Mod
Presentation:	[Full Frame]
Sound:	[monaural]
Language:	English
Time:	1:22:00
Sales rank:	43,639

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Broderick Crawford	Rollo Lamar
Ralph Meeker	Geraldo "Jerry" Barker aka Iceman
Lon Chaney	Leonard M. Alamo Smith,Alamo Smith
Reed Hadley	Special FBI Agent James Madden
Randy Farr	Nurse Emily Evans
William Talman	Machinegun Mason
Charles Bronson	Benny Kelly
Peter Votrian	Danny Lambert
Roy Roberts	Chief Ranger Erickson
Willis Bouchey	Robertson Lambert,Robertson Lambert
Peter J. Votrian	Danny Lambert
Paul Dunlap	Composer

Technical Credits

John C. Higgins

Howard W. Koch	Director
John C. Higgins	Screenwriter
Aubrey Schenck	Producer
Aubrey Schenk	Producer

Editorial Reviews

Though not without flaws, Big House USA is a gripping film that grabs hold of the viewer and keeps him involved throughout. It's a far from perfect film, but Big House is the kind of picture that it's hard to look away from, even when the story veers a little off course. It's a crime melodrama, pure and simple -- a bit too simple in some places, which fact will cause some viewers to wish it had more "meat" on its bones. But this is the kind of film that doesn't exist to truly examine social issues or to delve deep into the criminal psyche; it just wants to keep the viewer's attention and in this it succeeds. Sometimes it resorts to some rather gruesome (for the time) tactics, including a death by scalding and a memorable dismemberment of a corpse. At these times, it veers into sheer exploitation, but even then it does so in a most arresting fashion. The cast is a B-movie dream, with terrific work from Broderick Crawford and Ralph Meeker, and great turns from William Talman, Lon Chaney, Jr. and a young, buff Charles Bronson. Howard W. Koch directs with an eye on tension and suspense, and he handles the screenplay's "two half" structure quite effectively.

All Movie Guide - Craig Butler