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
This movie doesn't really offer anything new or spectacular but it does provide a good qualitatively 70 minutes. It's your standard prison drama in which most of the formulaic ingredients are present but this time also with a love-story mixed in.
The story is perhaps not the most interesting or refreshing but it is told in a good way. The pace of the movie is high and obviously made by experienced professionals. The editing is a bit offbeat and weird at times and the action and ending is rather weak but nevertheless "San Quentin" remains a perfectly watchable movie, thanks to the professional cast & crew involved.
The movie has a solid cast. Pat O'Brien plays the leading role very well and he really makes the character work. Also great was Humphrey Bogart, from the period when he was not yet a leading man in Hollywood movies. The most other characters remain rather flat and blank but this was often the case in movies from the '30's.
Of course prison movie set in the '30's are the most interesting to watch, when convicts still wore those great uniforms and guards where known as brutal animals who weren't afraid of using their weapons. This movie is set in that period and although this movie is not an heavy or dramatic one, it still makes this movie a better than average one, thanks to the time period it is set in.
It's not an essential viewing. The movie is too dry, simple and short for that. However when you do watch this movie, you won't regret it. It's well made entertainment and has some excellent actors in it.
7/10
http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/
The story is perhaps not the most interesting or refreshing but it is told in a good way. The pace of the movie is high and obviously made by experienced professionals. The editing is a bit offbeat and weird at times and the action and ending is rather weak but nevertheless "San Quentin" remains a perfectly watchable movie, thanks to the professional cast & crew involved.
The movie has a solid cast. Pat O'Brien plays the leading role very well and he really makes the character work. Also great was Humphrey Bogart, from the period when he was not yet a leading man in Hollywood movies. The most other characters remain rather flat and blank but this was often the case in movies from the '30's.
Of course prison movie set in the '30's are the most interesting to watch, when convicts still wore those great uniforms and guards where known as brutal animals who weren't afraid of using their weapons. This movie is set in that period and although this movie is not an heavy or dramatic one, it still makes this movie a better than average one, thanks to the time period it is set in.
It's not an essential viewing. The movie is too dry, simple and short for that. However when you do watch this movie, you won't regret it. It's well made entertainment and has some excellent actors in it.
7/10
http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/
This is one of those odd situations where the actors were some big names and decent in their performances, and the story wasn't bad....yet there wasn't much appeal to it, either. Only the action scene in the last 10-15 minutes provided any spark to this film which was too flat, for the most part.
The story was about a new guy in charge of the San Quentin prison yard who was going to be humane and make things work. Pat O'Brien plays that guy, "Capt. Steve Jameson." The previous man in charge is a nasty, corrupt bird named "Lt. Druggin," who Barton MacLane plays effectively well.
In the meantime we have the featured crook, "Red Kennedy," played by Humphrey Bogart, who almost always played villains in his 1930 films, and we have his sister "May" played by Ann Sheridan. O'Brien has the hots for her and promises to be fair to her brother. "Red," however, is too paranoid and stupid to appreciate what's done for him and that's when we get to the interesting finale to the film.
Overall, not bad but not worth watching a second time. At 70 minutes, at least it didn't overstay its welcome.
The story was about a new guy in charge of the San Quentin prison yard who was going to be humane and make things work. Pat O'Brien plays that guy, "Capt. Steve Jameson." The previous man in charge is a nasty, corrupt bird named "Lt. Druggin," who Barton MacLane plays effectively well.
In the meantime we have the featured crook, "Red Kennedy," played by Humphrey Bogart, who almost always played villains in his 1930 films, and we have his sister "May" played by Ann Sheridan. O'Brien has the hots for her and promises to be fair to her brother. "Red," however, is too paranoid and stupid to appreciate what's done for him and that's when we get to the interesting finale to the film.
Overall, not bad but not worth watching a second time. At 70 minutes, at least it didn't overstay its welcome.
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!
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.
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
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
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content