Caged (1950)

Director:

John Cromwell

Writers:

Virginia Kellogg (screenplay)
Virginia Kellogg (story)

Release Date:

19 May 1950 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

The Story of a Women's Prison Today!

Plot:

A naive nineteen year old widow becomes coarsened and cynical when she is sent to a woman's prison and is exposed to hardened criminals and sadistic guards.

Plot Keywords:

Prison | Sadistic | Pregnant | Beautiful Woman | Prison Matron

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Eleanor Parker	...	Marie Allen
Agnes Moorehead	...	Ruth Benton
Ellen Corby	...	Emma Barber
Hope Emerson	...	Evelyn Harper
Betty Garde	...	Kitty Stark
Jan Sterling	...	Smoochie
Lee Patrick	...	Elvira Powell
Olive Deering	...	June
Jane Darwell	...	Isolation Matron
Gertrude Michael	...	Georgia Harrison
Sheila MacRae	...	Helen (as Sheila Stevens)

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | Australia:M

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

In an early example of product placement, Snickers, Mason Mints, and Life-Savers are clearly visible when Harper opens the drawer in her room.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Marie Allen announces that her kitten has died, the cat opens its mouth.

Quotes:

Miss Barker: Sign here. I'll skip the mental test, you look normal enough.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Lady in Question Is Charles Busch (2005)

Very Good

Extremely well made drama about a woman's prison is one of the first and definitely the best of its genre. See it if you can find it on cable because unfortunately it's one of those films still in the archives.