Caged (1950)

Please don't spend money on this.

Just perfect...

Crappy film

I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

The "women in prison" genre is usually associated with exploitation movies, but it turns out that there have been serious movies in this number. John Cromwell's Academy Award-nominated "Caged" focuses on a naive young woman (Eleanor Parker) put in jail with a collection of tough gals, forcing her to become equally tough. While it doesn't share the brutality of "Brubaker" or "The Shawshank Redemption", it still has some intense scenes. And as the end of the movie makes clear, the prison experience has almost certainly made the protagonist more prone to crime (as often happens in real life).In addition to Parker, the cast includes Agnes Moorehead (Endora on "Bewitched"), Hope Emerson (the strongwoman who hoisted Spencer Tracy's character in "Adam's Rib") and Jane Darwell (the matriarch in "The Grapes of Wrath"). The director is the father of James Cromwell.

I've checked a number of reviews and haven't found one yet that notices that "Orange is the New Black" is taken directly from "Caged". The naive young inmate that turns hard from brutal prison life, the tough woman who rules the prison and runs a racket from inside and is toppled by an even tougher con with mob connections are only a couple of instances.Sure, women's prison flix are a genre, but the similarities are way more than coincidence. It's obvious that the series creators used this film as a pattern for the show.

When I first saw this eye opening early 50's Film Noir picture I was glued to the television set. A prison filled with woman? How novel! Our Story begins with a young, Green, pregnant and straight haired Marie Allen (Eleanore Parker)involved in an armed robbery as an accessory entering the unfriendly confines of a correctional facility. Already you feel the dark wrath of the Captain of the guards Evelyn Harper played by Hope Emerson. A no-nonsense disciplinarian who could be as tough if not tougher than an male counterpart. The Stocky Build and face to match makes her a very credible for that role. Another player in the movie is Betty Garde the leader of the cell block with a ruggedness and wisdom needed to survive the bleak, hopeless surroundings. Betty would play shoplifting games with her mates to pass the time but also gave advise to the new cons entering the system. You empathize with her along with a young Marie as the daily riggers of prison weighs down on the tormented females. One more character in the movie was the Warden played by Agnes Moorehead who represents a soft, objectionable role as the unacquainted administrator as Commandant Harper reeks havoc on the woman behind her back.Harper goes as far as using insubordination on her boss using nepotism to keep her power over the frustrated Warden with threats to the prison board. Meanwhile Marie, who goes through the ringer getting tougher as the days go by and you see the transformation from scared vulnerable girl to hard nosed female convict.Famous cameo scene shows an elderly woman convict played by Gertrude Hoffman known by most as Mrs. Odetts on the TV comedy MY LITTLE MARGIE as she give her two bits of advice to the younger cons. As a I stated you'll be glued to the movie and when it ends you'll be paroled temporarily cause you'll be back for a second term of watching this unique Prison movie.

I've always wanted to see this film and following a long wait I was certainly not disappointed. So many fine touches make 'Caged' an exemplary experience and what a powerful experience it is! Could not fault Eleanor Parker's flawless performance as the vulnerable young woman who teams up with Mr 'Wrong' and ends up going to prison for his folly. To complicate matters she is pregnant, broke and quite alone in the world except for a very limited relationship with her somewhat detached mother.Sensitive veteran Director John Cromwell (father of the "that'll do pig" man James) gives this terrific screen story, created by double award nominated writers Virginia Kellogg (White Heat '49) and Bernard C. Schoenfeld (The Dark Corner '46) his customary professional best. This work represents thoughtful, controversial film-making on a tough and humanely important topic, all handled with force and dignity in a style rarely achieved on screen. Somewhat reminiscent of, but different to, the similarly remarkable "The Snake Pit" of 1948.Versatile Director of Photography: Carle E. Guthrie (Storm Warning '51) works well with his director and as a perfectly matched team they create an unforgettable tour de force. Top performances all round (so good to see Agnes Morehead given a sympathetic role as the concerned prison head). Stylish Editing and strong Music score (Max Steiner at his dramatic best) combine to leave the discerning viewer compelled from first to last frame. The TCM print I saw was thankfully better than their average, so I imagine the DVD transfer should have received a special treatment. Today's film makers with their overly sensationalistic approach to most subjects would be hard pressed to better this important classic. Don't miss it..... Will I ever forget that haunting "Train", eternally roaring past the barred windows, with everyone behind them... going nowhere! KenR.