O Presídio

Convict John Morgan (Chester Morris) escapes prison and falls in love with his cellmate Kent Marlowe's (Robert Montgomery) sister, but is later caught and sent back. He soon becomes embroiled in an escape plot that also involves Kent.

The Big House was one of the first prison films, and obviously an influential one. Chester Morris is excellent in the lead, and Wallace Beery is great as the simple-minded Machine Gun "Butch" Schmidt. The best performance in the film comes from Robert Montgomery as the weak-willed Marlowe. The cinematography and set design are quite good.

Highly recommended. First time viewing. 4/5

The acting in this doesn't feel like acting, it doesn't feel like a 1930 picture, it's like watching real people. There's a quote which sums up why. It was from director, George Hill who told his cast: 'If I see any of you acting, you're fired,' This was MGM's first year of talkies and this film did not want that silent movie acting style that infested so many early talkies.

It's hard-hitting without being melodramatic, emotional without being sentimental and still feels relevant today although was made nearly a century ago. Obviously it looks like an old picture but it definitely doesn't look like one of those early talkies. The style of acting is realistic and natural and as far away from melodrama as you can get! It's not as authentic as 2019's BBC drama, TIME with Sean Bean....but to actually be able to compare in terms of entertainment, enjoyment and ability to provoke thought, a modern drama with something made nearly a hundred years ago speaks wonders for George Hill's direction, the acting and the writing.

One of the biggest appeals of pre-code movies is the sexy star whether it's a Joan, a Jean or a Claudette....this however has a virtually all male cast but even so it's not one of those horribly macho men's film. It was written by Frances Marion, not just MGM's top female writer but MGM's top writer in 1929. She imbues this with a subtle sensitivity based on weeks of in-depth research and visiting real criminals. Like in her famous comedy of manners, DINNER AT EIGHT, or ANNA CHRISTIE, she finds what spark makes her characters tick.

It's a character driven drama with characters with so much more depth than you expect in such an old film. It's a stereotype-free zone! It also plays with your sympathies. You're immediately on Robert Montgomery's side when he's stuffed into a tiny cell with two hardened criminals - ten years - he shouldn't have to put up with this. Then you see him as a spoilt rich kid whose sense of entitlement landed him in this situation. Then....well it just goes on like that changing your point of view... and that's just for one character!

Because there's so much depth and drama, most reviewers go on for hours but I'll force myself to stop.

The Big House is a 1930 crime-drama film, set in a prison. The story follows several inmates who are all willing to do anything to get out of jail. Whether it is cutting deals, informing on one another, or planning a breakout, each character is pushed to the limits of what a person is willing to do for freedom. As the story progresses, each character must ultimately face the consequences of whatever choice they make, which seems to be the moral of the film.

The Big House is surprisingly sympathetic toward the flaws in the penal system and makes no attempt to hide the horrors of prison. The jail in the film is almost medieval at times with a dungeon for solitary confinement, roach-infested, rotten food, and three men to a closet-sized cell. The story is well-written and the acting is great, for the most part.

The bad parts of the film mostly consists of the silliness, such as obviously fake punches, the phony tough-guy routine, and the cringe-worthy "Who...Me?" line that is repeated throughout. The comedy aspects of the film also fall flat, such as the cross-eyed stutter routine and the exaggerated wide-eyed stupidity role. These elements drag the film down.

Overall, The Big House is worth watching. Honest, enjoyable, and intense, most viewers will have a lot of fun with this film. Despite a few flaws and bad comedy, the amazing prison scenery will keep you drawn to the screen.

Remember when Caged was such a big deal, shocking the censors and lifting the lid on what really goes on inside a women's prison? Twenty years earlier, and without the constraints of the Hays Code, there was The Big House, a gritty drama lifting the lid on what goes on inside a men's prison. Robert Montgomery is convicted and sent to an overcrowded prison after a drunk driving incident. His cellmates are hardened criminals Wallace Beery and Chester Morris, no match for the innocent newcomer. The latter two have a very interesting dynamic: Wallace is the biggest, baddest criminal on the block, and everyone's afraid to cross him, yet he backs down like a puppy whenever Chester scolds him. It's 1930, and the lack of censors can only show so much, but if you want to, you can definitely interpret their relationship as more than just cellmates.

I enjoyed The Big House as well, since I love seeing Robert Montgomery's curly hair flopping in his face as his eyes light up with liquid fire. There's a lot more to the movie than just eye candy, though, including episodes of solitary confinement, riots, convict gangs, and escape attempts. If you like this oldie, check out Public Hero Number 1 next. It's another great prison drama starring Chester Morris, and the warden is once again Lewis Stone!

Kent (Robert Montgomery) arrives in prison and is put in a cell with Butch (Wallace Beery) and Morgan (Chester Morris), a couple of hardened criminals who run the place. Kent is warned by them to choose his friends wisely. He doesn't.

This is a strange film in that it starts out as Kent's story but gradually turns into Morgan's story. The film moves at a good pace climaxing in the attempted escape where old pals Butch and Morgan have a final confrontation. Robert Montgomery is a wimp/coward/creep in this film while Wallace Beery is the thug.

It's an enjoyable film with a touch of romance thrown in by the storyline involving Anne (Leila Hyams) and Morgan. Morgan escapes and hangs out with Anne and her family. She is Kent's sister. There are tense moments involving him and the policeman that finally re-arrests him. Morgan maintains a smart outlook throughout the film and goes out of his way to protect Kent even though Morgan knows what a traitor Kent has been. Shagging his sister must only increase his inner torment as to what he should do. It all works out nicely in the end!