IMDb RATING
6.5/10
2.4K
YOUR RATING
An army trainer becomes captain of the prison yard and in time, falls for the sister of a hardened inmate.An army trainer becomes captain of the prison yard and in time, falls for the sister of a hardened inmate.An army trainer becomes captain of the prison yard and in time, falls for the sister of a hardened inmate.
Joe Sawyer
- 'Sailor Boy' Hansen
- (as Joseph Sawyer)
Archie Robbins
- Mickey Callahan
- (as James Robbins)
Joe King
- Warden Taylor
- (as Joseph King)
Ralph Byrd
- Cop on Phone
- (scenes deleted)
Featured reviews
Pat O'Brien is the new captain of the prison guard at San Quentin who clashes with guard Barton MacLane while romancing the sister (Ann Sheridan) of new convict Humphrey Bogart. A great WB prison flick; one of the best. Solid supporting cast of familiar faces. The leads are all great. Sheridan gets to sing a song. She's not as glamorous here as she would be in the '40s, but she's still a looker. Bogie is very entertaining in one of his early roles. He's got pals on the outside that can pull wires, doncha know? O'Brien and MacLane are good in roles they could play in their sleep. The prison stuff is better than the romantic subplot. Bogie fans will like it for his fun performance. Love that gangster tough guy lingo!
The army Captain Stephen Jameson (Pat O'Brien) accepts the assignment to work as captain of San Quentin yard and he celebrates with two military friends in a night-club. He falls in love with the singer May Kennedy (Ann Sheridan) and he witnesses the arrest of her brother Joe 'Red' Kennedy (Humphrey Bogart) for the heist of a restaurant.
The prison warden tells to Lieutenant Druggin (Barton MacLane), who is temporarily in the position of captain, that he will be replaced by Jameson and Druggin is upset. Captain Jameson implements a rigid discipline expecting to regenerate the law offender inmates and he helps Red. When the criminal "Sailor Boy" Hansen (Joseph Sawyer) plans a prison escape, he invites Red to join him. Red refuses, and Hansen poisons him telling that Jameson is helping him is banging his sister. Now Red accepts to escape to kill Jameson.
"San Quentin" is a dated prison drama, with a story that sounds naive and moralist in the present days but nevertheless is a good movie. Ann Sheridan is gorgeous and I am a fan of Humphrey Bogart; in addition the movie has spectacular car chase and I really like and recommend it despite the bad reviews. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "San Quentin"
The prison warden tells to Lieutenant Druggin (Barton MacLane), who is temporarily in the position of captain, that he will be replaced by Jameson and Druggin is upset. Captain Jameson implements a rigid discipline expecting to regenerate the law offender inmates and he helps Red. When the criminal "Sailor Boy" Hansen (Joseph Sawyer) plans a prison escape, he invites Red to join him. Red refuses, and Hansen poisons him telling that Jameson is helping him is banging his sister. Now Red accepts to escape to kill Jameson.
"San Quentin" is a dated prison drama, with a story that sounds naive and moralist in the present days but nevertheless is a good movie. Ann Sheridan is gorgeous and I am a fan of Humphrey Bogart; in addition the movie has spectacular car chase and I really like and recommend it despite the bad reviews. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "San Quentin"
They've got a new captain of the guards coming to San Quentin in Pat O'Brien. Barton MacLane who held the job previously is demoted and is in a foul mood.
A couple of new prisoners are arriving as well. Joe Sawyer as a hardened criminal and Humphrey Bogart who O'Brien believes is salvageable. O'Brien also meets up with Bogey's sister, Ann Sheridan and they get to kanoodling.
Each for their own motives, Sawyer and MacLane play Iago to Bogey's inner Othello and Bogey and Sawyer crash out of San Quentin.
Back in the day Warner Brothers was the great working class studio, with many a film of social significance. San Quentin is one of these, but it's hardly the best one. I'm at a loss to see why O'Brien thinks Bogart is so salvageable other than his involvement with his sister.
Joe Sawyer has one of his best film parts in San Quentin. He's a hardened criminal and that's all there is to it. He played a similar role vis a vis Bogart in Black Legion which is a much better film.
Also Garry Owen has a nice turn as a stir crazy convict who O'Brien has to face down and disarm.
Dedicated fans of Humphrey Bogart will like this film, others can take it or leave it.
A couple of new prisoners are arriving as well. Joe Sawyer as a hardened criminal and Humphrey Bogart who O'Brien believes is salvageable. O'Brien also meets up with Bogey's sister, Ann Sheridan and they get to kanoodling.
Each for their own motives, Sawyer and MacLane play Iago to Bogey's inner Othello and Bogey and Sawyer crash out of San Quentin.
Back in the day Warner Brothers was the great working class studio, with many a film of social significance. San Quentin is one of these, but it's hardly the best one. I'm at a loss to see why O'Brien thinks Bogart is so salvageable other than his involvement with his sister.
Joe Sawyer has one of his best film parts in San Quentin. He's a hardened criminal and that's all there is to it. He played a similar role vis a vis Bogart in Black Legion which is a much better film.
Also Garry Owen has a nice turn as a stir crazy convict who O'Brien has to face down and disarm.
Dedicated fans of Humphrey Bogart will like this film, others can take it or leave it.
In "San Quentin," Bogart returns quickly to a life of crime
Trying without success to add some depth and meaning to a role which offered little of either, Bogart is a convicted robber sent to San Quentin and assigned to a road gang as a rehabilitated step instituted by the prison yard captain, Pat O'Brien
When Bogart is maliciously informed, through the efforts of the bad Barton MacLane, that O'Brien has less than honorable intentions toward his sister, Ann Sheridan, he breaks out and shoots O'Brien, though not seriously
When he finds that he has made a mistake, he decides to give himself up, but
"San Quentin," though far from one of Bogart's best roles, is almost always included in his film retrospectives as a favorite choice of his fans
When Bogart is maliciously informed, through the efforts of the bad Barton MacLane, that O'Brien has less than honorable intentions toward his sister, Ann Sheridan, he breaks out and shoots O'Brien, though not seriously
When he finds that he has made a mistake, he decides to give himself up, but
"San Quentin," though far from one of Bogart's best roles, is almost always included in his film retrospectives as a favorite choice of his fans
Humphrey Bogart, Ann Sheridan and Pat O'Brien star in this 1937 film detailing prison life.
A man and army official with a heart, O'Brien is sent to this prison to help reform it from a vicious guard played in his usual sinister way by Barton MacLane.
O'Brien falls for lounge singer Sheridan. Coincidentally, her brother is sent to the jail for armed robbery. Tough guy Bogart is reformed by O'Brien until a misunderstanding leads Bogie to believe that he is being treated well since O'Brien is stuck on his sister.
Jealous and angry of O'Brien being brought in over him, MacLane "arranges" a breakout of Bogart and another inmate with tragic results for all resulting.
This picture details when a criminal tries to go straight but other things just get in the way.
Marc Lawrence, who died recently in his 90s, is also excellent as one of the inmates.
The film also shows emotionally disturbed people being in the same prison as hardened criminals.
Note Veda Ann Borg in a small but captivating role.
A man and army official with a heart, O'Brien is sent to this prison to help reform it from a vicious guard played in his usual sinister way by Barton MacLane.
O'Brien falls for lounge singer Sheridan. Coincidentally, her brother is sent to the jail for armed robbery. Tough guy Bogart is reformed by O'Brien until a misunderstanding leads Bogie to believe that he is being treated well since O'Brien is stuck on his sister.
Jealous and angry of O'Brien being brought in over him, MacLane "arranges" a breakout of Bogart and another inmate with tragic results for all resulting.
This picture details when a criminal tries to go straight but other things just get in the way.
Marc Lawrence, who died recently in his 90s, is also excellent as one of the inmates.
The film also shows emotionally disturbed people being in the same prison as hardened criminals.
Note Veda Ann Borg in a small but captivating role.
Did you know
- TriviaWhen Druggin was looking at the index cards of the prisoners, a close-up shot on Hansen's card shows an entry for Bertillion (sic) Measurements. The Bertillon System was created in the late 1800s by Alphonse Bertillon, a French police officer and biometrics researcher, who applied the anthropological technique of anthropometry to create a human identification system based on physical measurements. Anthropometry was the first scientific system used by law enforcement to identify criminals. Before that time, criminals could only be identified by name or photograph. The Bertillon System consisted of five measurements: head length, head breadth, length of middle finger, length of the left foot, and length of the cubit. Along with these measurements, Bertillon set a standard for facial photography, now known as the mugshot, to complete this system. Although the system was based on scientific measurements, it was known to have its problems. For example, it did not work accurately with women or children because it was based on the data of men who had reached full physical maturity and had short hair. The Bertillon System was eventually replaced by fingerprinting.
- GoofsBefore going onto the yard, Bogart's hair is dark. When on the yard, suddenly he becomes a blonde.
- Quotes
Captain Stephen Jameson: Hi, Beautiful.
May Kennedy aka May De Villiers: Hello, Sergeant, where's the war?
May Kennedy aka May De Villiers: Haven't you read the papers? We're fighting the Indians 'cause they won't take the country back.
May Kennedy aka May De Villiers: Really, Sergeant?
Captain Stephen Jameson: And don't call me Sergeant!
May Kennedy aka May De Villiers: Well, I won't if you promised to tell me what you are.
Captain Stephen Jameson: D'ya know what two bars mean?
May Kennedy aka May De Villiers: Sure, twice as many drunks as one bar.
- ConnectionsEdited into Dark Passage (1947)
- How long is San Quentin?Powered by Alexa
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $365,000 (estimated)
- Runtime
- 1h 10m(70 min)
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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