For its part, the 1080p presentation looks wonderful, with noticeable texture and grain supporting balanced contrast and sharp, gritty detail. In siegels hands, the film, shot on location at folsom state prison, with real inmates and guards as extras, is at. The prisoners purpose in revolting is not to escape incarceration, but. Riot in cell block 11 one of the best of all prison pictures, thanks not only to don siegels sharp direction and a good script by richard collins, but also to the creative input of producer. Riot in cell block 11 a hardhitting and pertinent prison drama. But there are many more reasons that make riot, a landmark in the subgenre of prison films, worth seeking out. Legendary director sam peckinpah made his professional film debut as an uncredited assistant casting director on riot in cell block 11. Mar 20, 2010 the glass wall 1953 is highly underrated and overlooked. Again, tabori reads the chapter dedicated to riot in cell block 11, another text that has clearly informed bernsteins commentary, over stills from the film and a few behindthescenes shots. Riot in cell block 11 arrives on bluray from the criterion collection in avc encoded 1080p high definition framed in its original 1. Im a little surprised how much im taken with prison films, as they tend to always hit the exact.
A powerful and intelligent prison film, riot in cell block 11 concerns an uprising of folsom prison inmates, led by brand. A man is serving his prison sentence for armed robbery. Fed up with the inhumane prison living conditions, a general prison riot breaks out. A rippedfromtheheadlines crime noir, with the dramatic exploitative flair of don siegel, riot in cell block 11 is more than just the bmovie schlock that prison movies would become in the 60s and 70s. Riot in cell block 11 is the story of a semiviolent, seminonviolent prisoner protest riot over inhumane prison conditions. Finally, there is a seemingly complete 1953 episode of the challenge of our prisons 59. Though the film is fairly grainy, theres no actual print damage to report outside of. Riot in cell block 11 1954 riot in cell block 11 1954. It was inspired by a reallife hollywood incident a group of convictsled by james dunn played by neville brand and crazy mike carnie leo gordonstage a riot and take hostages, demanding various prison reforms. The film opens with an examination of prison riots escalating across the country. Riot in cell block 11 was the first film work for sam peckinpah, who was hired as a third assistant casting director by don siegel.
The prisoners purpose in revolting is not to escape incarceration, but to improve the horrendous conditions under which they live. Prison officials put a twoweek limit on the use of the location. From this we get siegels firsthand account about the production, from being first approached by wanger, to casting, to actually getting permission to film at folsom prison, and the film s release. Oscars best picture winners best picture winners golden globes emmys san diego comiccon new york comiccon sundance film festival toronto intl film festival awards central festival central all events. Don siegel on riot in cell block 11 kristoffer tabori, don siegels son, reads the chapter on riot in cell block 11 from the directors autobiography a siegel film. Among the first to reflect this need for more enlightened treatment on criminals occurred in 1954 in a film called riot in cell block 11. That alone would at least guarantee footnote status for the film. Siegel completed his tour of famed california penal institutions with. Jan 22, 2017 sleepers west lloyd nolan, lynn bari, mary beth hughes. It was december the sixth 1983 i was doin time for armed robbery at four in the morning, i was sitt. Jan 23, 2014 riot in cell block 11 original film trailer cliff held. In siegels hands, the film, shot on location at folsom state prison, with real inmates and guards as extras, is at once brash and humane, showcasing the hard. In this prison film, neville brand plays a lifer who leads his fellow prisoners in revolt.
The man who cheated himself 1950 film noir crime duration. Riot in cell block 11 riot in cell block 11 1954 was conceived by producer walter wanger as both a highly personal movie and a major social plea to the american public. But i imagine if something like this were to happen today, it would go very similarly. Riot in cell block 11 by don siegel don siegel, neville. The first is an excerpt from the autobiography a siegel film, where siegel recalls making riot on cell block 11. Film made me think of killers kiss, in that they are both 1950s lowbudget movies with great potential, from a soontobe famous director. And maybe with its availability, this little noir will get the recognition. Riot in cell block 11 is a 1954 film noir crime film directed by don siegel and starring neville brand, emile meyer, frank faylen, leo gordon and robert osterloh. This is a political film, with a liberal slant, and an advocacy one for prisoner rights and humane treatment of a population that was and.
Aug 29, 2017 trailer for brawl in cell block 99, starring vince vaughn, jennifer carpenter and don johnson in brawl in cell block 99, a former boxer named bradley vince vaughn loses his job as an auto mechanic, and his troubled marriage is about to end. Riot in cell block 11 is a film directed by don siegel with neville brand, emile meyer, frank faylen, leo gordon, year. Riot in cell block 11 was the first feature film of directorscreenwriter sam peckinpah 19251984, who worked as a production assistant on the picture. Riot in cell block 11 dvd king county library system. Quentin tarantino called it the best prison film ever made.
Riot in cell block 11 1954 inmates and the warden emile meyer face off in a hostage crisis, with the media watching. Riot in cell block 11 is an unusual film in that there are no heroes as such, its confined to one location, and there are no female characters. Producer walter wanger, who had just been released from a prison term after shooting a man he believed was having an affair with his wife, wanted to make a film about the appalling conditions he saw. The blues brothers riot in cell block number nine lyrics. The narrative, which producer walter wanger and screenwriter richard collins modeled after the events of a reallife riot that took place in jackson, michigan, in 1952, presents. Respected american director, a former editor, whose action thrillers were second to none. Riot in cell block 11 and the big house on dvd the new. Fed up with the inhumane prison living conditions, a general prison riot breaks out, leading to hostagetaking, a standoff with the guards and eventual negotiations with the prison administration officials. Get it today with same day delivery, order pickup or drive up. The 3d follies was announced as a fiveunit variety show in color that began production by sol lesser at rkopathe studios on january 9, 1953. A s a liberal film of its time, riot in cell block 11 1954 addressed itself to the public, which it held ultimately responsible for the conditions that made prison riots a hot issue in the united states in the 1950s. Director don siegiel was a underratted moviemaker, he did many fine films long before he worked with clint eastwood, riot in cell block 11 is one of best prison film ever made, filmed in a documentary style, you believe this is for real, shawshank redemption 50 years later is a fairy tale next to this. Producer walter wanger, who had just been released from a prison term after shooting a man he believed was having an affair with his wife, wanted to make a film about the appalling. Producer walter wanger who famously produced hitchcocks 1941 film, foreign correspondent, among others was sentenced to a brief stint in prison after shooting a man he believed was having an affair with his then wife, actress joan bennett.
Riot in cell block 11 not rated 1h 20min crime, drama, filmnoir 28 february 1954 usa fed up with the inhumane prison living conditions, a general prison riot breaks out, leading to hostagetaking, a standoff with the guards and eventual negotiations with the. Riot in cell block 11 succeeds in all areas, and while its targets may be low it certainly deserves more recognition. Im very appreciative that its finally got its debut on dvd through the bad girls of film noir, vol. Don siegel later made a name for himself with his gritty clint eastwood collaborations not to mention his brilliant invasion of the body snatchers but was just a promising journeyman director when he embarked on this lowbudget 1954 film, a project initiated by producer walter. Riot in cell block 11 sees him move away from noirs and westerns and sees him tackle the. Since the american prison system has gotten worse over the years, the film s message still remains timely and relevant. My research for riot in cell block 11, which i have just produced, began. The song was first recorded by the robins the same year. Riot in cell block 11 film by siegel 1954 britannica. Riot came the closest to an actual threedimensional start but on august 5, variety reported, walter wangers allied artists production, riot in cell block 11, will be filmed in 2d instead of 3d because of regulations at folsom prison, where much of the shooting will be done. For a film with such a forthright title, riot in cell block 11 is surprisingly complex, a multilevel moral tale with shades of ambiguity placing. Apr 29, 2014 the inspiration behind the making of riot in cell block 11 is as equally fascinating as the end product. The film, fictional, nonetheless, was filmed in folsom prison and used several hundred actual prisoners.
Of course, siegel shot many of his great movies in the bay area and in northern california, so his work on riot in cell block 11 helps establish a crucial pattern. Surprisingly, they dont want to escape they just want better living. Spacepirates rating of the film riot in cell block 11 spacepirate meyer and brand give the highlight performances in this pseudodocumentary prison film, but the real star is the location shooting at folsom with real inmates as extras. July the second, it was nineteen sixtythree i was servin time for armed robbery four oclock in the mornin, i was layin back in my cell i heard the whistle blow then i heard somebody yell. Riot in cell block 11, american lowbudget crime film, released in 1954, that offers a critical look at the prison system in the united states. Not well done, boring, and i could not pay attention. Siegel shot the film at the reallife folsom prison, which must have added to its urgency and realism. But if you are willing to suspend your disbelief for 2 minutes, you may find yourself headoverheels for this film s brand of gross, thoughtful pulp fiction. Shot on location in folsom state prison, riot in cell block 11 was as. Id previously known only washed out vhs copies but the detailed hd image seen here presents russell harlans cinematography at its best.
Wanger and siegel would team up again two years later for invasion of the body snatchers. Read the full synopsis of riot in cell block 11, 1954, directed by don siegel, with neville brand, emile meyer, frank faylen, at turner classic movies. Social commentary in the guise of exploitation posted on november 5, 2019 by 4starfilmfan if youre like me you met don siegel because of dirty harry 1971 or maybe the invasion of the body snatchers 1956. In my honest opinion, it has to be one of the best and effective film noirs out there. Brawl in cell block 99 isnt for the squeamish, nor for anyone who dislikes the idea of cheering on a guy who, in reality, wouldnt be as benign as his creators want us to think. May 25, 2014 riot in cell block 11 also set the stage for siegels invasion of the body snatchers 1956, another wanger production, on which collins was a writer, that was topical, allegorical. Don siegels riot in cell block 11 on the criterion.
Riot in cell block 11 is ferociously presented and. However, i should also warn you that its also got a very strong and not especially subtle message. Riot in cell block 11 makes the prestigious jump from vhs straight to bluray courtesy of the criterion collection, who also include the film in standard definition on a second disc. The grim business of melodrama behind prison walls, so often depicted in standard, banal fashion in films, is given both tension and dignity in riot in cell block 11. Brawl in cell block 99 was showing at the venice film festival and will. Peckinpah, whose full name was david samuel peckinpah, was listed as david peckinpah in some contemporary sources. Riot in cell block 11 is a stellar film, replete with passionate debate, fully fledged characters with sensible opinions that differ greatly, and, most critically, is a tremendous thriller set in and around the confines of a prison ready to explode in frustration. Photographed with the stereocine camera and slated for release on may 23, 1953 as a 90 minute feature by rko, the film was never completed. The film has a very realistic ending, which isnt always the happiest conclusion one might want. However, formatting rules can vary widely between applications and fields of interest or study. Shot on location in folsom state prison, riot in cell block 11 was as much the brainchild of producer walter wanger as of director don siegela fact reflected in wanger s prominent and highly unusual possessive credit on the front cover of the new criterion release. Riot in cell block 11 and the big house on dvd the. Wanger had just done a fourmonth stretch in prison for shooting his. One response to riot in cell block 11 1954 david csontos, on august th, 2008 at 9.
Director tabori reads excerpts from the chapter on riot in cell block 11 from. This two disc classic bluraydvd prison drama movie from the criterion collection, arrived on time and. In fact, some of these situations and characters in riot in cell block 11 were taken from an equivalent situation in michigan. Riot in cell block 11 is a hardhitting, suspenseful prison thriller. New to criterion, riot in cell block 11 is at once an. Staring emile meyer, neville brand, robert osterloh and leo gordon. Riot in cell block 11 is a very good, very tough prison movie. Riot in cell block 11 1954, usa prisons are all about finding a suitable balance between things that inevitably seem to be in conflict. The criterion collection on dvd 715515117814 from criterion. Not rated 1h 20min crime, drama, filmnoir 28 february 1954 usa.
Riot in cell block 11 original film trailer cliff held. Riot in cell block 11, the brainchild of producer extraordinaire walter wanger, is a rippedfromtheheadlines socialproblem picture about inmates rights that was inspired by a recent spate of uprisings in american prisons. And this stems from the very conditions wanger saw during his. Riot in cell block 11 1954 the criterion collection. Riot in cell block 11 is a 1954 film noir crime film directed by don siegel and starring neville brand, emile meyer, frank faylen, leo gordon and robert.
Riot in cell block 11 original film trailer youtube. It may not have been obvious at the time but riot in cell block 11 1954 was a perfect match of film and filmmaker. These peaceful people saw humanity even in the worse criminal and expected the inmates to be treated with a modicum of respect as human beings. In siegels hands, the film, shot on location at folsom state prison, with real inmates and guards as extras, is at once brash and humane, showcasing the hardboiled visual flair and bold. He started out in lower budget movies like the big steal, riot in cell bock 11 and the lineup but come the sixties he started making higher profile work such as the remake of the killers and madigan. The pros and cons of prison riots are stated articulately in the richard collins screen story, and producer walter wanger uses.