Seven Miles from Alcatraz

Champ Larkin (James Craig) and the spartanly named Jimbo (Frank Jenks) are serving their sentences in Alcatraz. The narration by Larkin says that things are not so bad until the war breaks out and all material needed for the inmates to do their jobs - metal and fuel for example - dry up because they are needed on both the homefront and for wartime manufacturing. This causes unbearable boredom on Larkin's part and he and his cellmate break out of Alcatraz.

There have been entire movies made just about trying to break out of Alcatraz, but this programmer makes it look like kindergarten since the escape is not the point. Larkin and Jimbo make it to a lighthouse in the bay and hold the occupants prisoner. The fact that the occupants need to be in constant contact with the authorities to help the war effort means nothing to our escapees, since they are mercenary in character. But then a trio of Nazis show up and become the convicts' accidental hostages. The Nazis are eager to make a deal with the convicts in order to make their rendezvous on time. Will these convicts continue in their mercenary ways? Watch and find out.

James Craig was never an A-list star, but he was pretty good in the Bs of the era. You also have Bonita Granville and Cliff Edwards - who is in the biggest role I've seen him this late in his career. So the quality of the actors in this one makes it worthwhile with pretty good suspense throughout. Also consider that ace noir director Edward Dmytryk is in the director's chair here, so he brings his considerable talents to this production.