Thanks for the memories!

So much average

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

Without resorting to the type of melodrama that some of the Warner Brothers pictures of the same era tended to do, "Riot in Cell Block 11" is a fairly gritty piece of work that surprises with characters on both sides of the jail cell expressing similar views. The film attempts to influence the viewer toward a need to improve prison conditions in general, and in that regard, the warden in charge (Emile Meyer) agrees with the prisoners that something needs to be done to improve physical conditions, train them for a trade once they're released and keep the mentally challenged separate from the population at large.That mentally challenged part gets a workout in the story from inmate Crazy Mike Carnie, realistically portrayed by veteran character actor Leo Gordon. Until researching this picture I had no idea he was once incarcerated himself for armed robbery, and I never noticed his formidable physical appearance before in a handful of Western movies and TV series appearances. Suffice it to say he could have handled himself credibly in any situation he might have encountered.The choice of leader for the prison uprising featured here was also a casting coup; Neville Brand had the perfect face and demeanor for a convict ready to explode. His no nonsense approach demanded the killing of a guard for every prisoner who died when the authorities attempted to regain control. Interestingly, things didn't go that far even when one of the inmates died following the state police advance on the prisoners during the siege.Though the newspaper headlines proclaimed 'Rioters Win' once the state governor signed off on the prisoner list of demands, the victory for the inmates was a short lived one. One almost feels sorry for convict leader Dunn (Brand) when he learns he'll face charges and a potential thirty year prison term for leading the riot, offset by the warden's partial victory in getting needed repairs for the prison and having the mental defectives like Carnie segregated from the main population. That was a perfect moment for Dunn to go ballistic on the warden but the picture didn't go in that direction.For a more recent picture, 1980's "Brubaker" does a commendable job of exposing corruption in the prison system, with an emphasis on the attitude of politicians who would rather look the other way when it comes to prison reform. In that one, Robert Redford portrays a newly assigned prison warden who integrates his way into the prison population to take on corruption from the inside.

***SPOILERS*** The movie was the brainchild of producer Walter Wagner who himself served time behind bars for shooting in the groin his wife actress Joan Bennett's lover press agent Jennings Lang. That's when he caught them red handed smooching in a parked car on December 13, 1951. Sentenced to only four month for attempted murder, he got a brake using the insanity defense, Wagner in the movie "Riot in cell-block 11" was to show the public what the US prison system really is. And how it turns those in it into even worse anti-social psychopaths then when when they first entered it!Things have being going from bad to worse for the inmates at San Quentin and it's a matter of time before the entire place is going to blow it's top. It's the civic minded Warden Reynolds, Emile Meyer, who wants to give the inmates a reason not to explode by making things a lot better for them. But it's the state that refuses to give him the funds he needs that had things get soon out of hand. It's the predatory and psychotic looking James V. Dunn, Neville Brand, who devises a plan to take over the prison with the help of his fellow inmates and hold it hostage, together with it's personnel, until the Governor Thomas Browne Henry agrees in writing to improve conditions there. A full scale riot breaks out with Dunn and his second in command the deranged and kill crazy gorilla-like "Crazy Mike" Craine, Leo Gordon, taking control of the cell-block together with the prison guards assigned there.****SPOILERS*** As much as Warden Reynolds tries to prevent the violence from spreading into the other cell-blocks Dunn soon has the entire prison under his control with the national guard and state police, who in fact make things a lot worse, called in to quite things down. Warden Reynolds doesn't get any help from the state commissioner of prisons Haskell, Frank Feylen, who's more interested in using brute force instead of negotiations to settle things down with the inmates. As things later turned out Dunn & Co. got their way with Governor Henry finally giving into to their demands. In him making things better for those behind bars so when they get out they can blend in with society not go to war against it. It also turned out to be a Pyrrhic victory for both Dunn and the crazed and violence driven Crazy Mike Carnie who ended up with the short or sh*t end of the stick.In a way it was a double-cross on the state's part in hanging both Dunne and Crazy Mike Craine out to dry but Warden Reynolds in fact had nothing at all to do with it. But Dunn did get what he set out to do in making conditions better for those serving time in the states prisons but in his breaking the law ended up paying a steep price for doing it! P.S Check out the usually meek and mosey Whit Bissell acting against type as the brutal and sadistic prison guard, that everyone in the "Joint" just couldn't wait to get their hands around his neck, Mister, that he demands to be called,Seden.

"Riot In Cell Block 11" is a fast-moving, low budget, prison drama that's violent, gritty and extremely hard-hitting. Its story about a riot that's organised to achieve better living conditions for the convicts in a large prison forcefully illustrates the reasons for their grievances and highlights the numerous problems associated with trying to make any meaningful improvements. With its relatively short running time, its style is predictably punchy, direct and economical but what makes it more remarkable is the intelligent, balanced and sincere way in which the whole subject of prison reform is examined.This movie is a typical docu-noir as it features extensive location work, a newsreel-style narration and many actual prisoners and guards appearing as extras. Additionally, one of the main characters is played by Leo Gordon who'd spent time in prison for armed robbery and its producer Walter Wanger also served a sentence for shooting a man who he believed was having an affair with his wife (movie star Joan Bennett). Wanger's experience made him a passionate advocate of prison reform and no doubt, is one of the reasons why the movie provides such a powerful and authentic picture of prison life in the 1950s.A group of prisoners break out of their cells one night and start a riot before overcoming their guards and holding them as hostages. The prisoners' leader James V Dunn (Neville Brand) makes the men's grievances known to the warden and threatens to kill the guards unless he's allowed to explain the men's demands to the press. Warden Reynolds (Emile Meyer) agrees and Dunn subsequently tells a group of reporters that the prisoners want an immediate end to overcrowding, terrible food and the practice of housing mentally ill convicts with the general prison population. Furthermore, they want an end to the beatings that are routinely meted out by the guards.In response to the trouble at the prison, the governor had sent his emissary, Commissioner Haskell (Frank Faylen) to negotiate on his behalf but on hearing the prisoners' demands, he refuses to make any concessions and threatens to have all the men executed unless they hand the guards back unharmed. Dunn's second-in-command, Crazy Mike Carnie (Leo Gordon), a man who's less stable than Dunn, becomes so incensed at Haskell's stance that he throws a knife at him and wounds him in the chest.To reinforce his intransigent stance, Haskell arranges for the state police to end the problems in cell block 11 by blowing a hole in a wall and the prisoners respond by tying their hostages to the same wall. Surprisingly, however, before the planned explosion takes place, the prisoners receive a message to confirm that the governor has agreed their demands and their victory is also reported in the newspapers. The events that follow don't work out in the way that the prisoners had envisaged and ultimately, they're left with mixed feelings.The divisions that exist within both sides who are involved in the dispute at the prison are clearly described as Dunn has to control the recklessly violent Mike Carnie, see off a challenge by another psychopathic prisoner who wants to take over the leadership role and confront the apathy of another man who doesn't want to participate because he expects to be paroled soon. Similarly, the sympathetic warden, who has long advocated the reforms that the prisoners want is forced to follow the course dictated by his political bosses who have their own reasons for not wanting to make concessions.Neville Brand and Leo Gordon are well cast as the two leaders of the riot and Emile Meyer is incredibly subtle and strong in his portrayal of the warden who carries out his orders with great dignity whilst at the same time feeling completely frustrated by regularly seeing men so brutalised by their experience in prison that 65% of them consistently re-offend. "Riot In Cell Block 11" is a movie that says a great deal in a short space of time and commendably recognises the complexities involved with prison reform rather than just resorting to using stereotypes and promoting simplistic solutions.

It is a normal night in block 11 of the city jail. One prisoner calls a guard over to his cell for assistance but knocks him to the ground and grabs his keys. With the rest of the prisoners released one by one and the handful of block guards captured, ringleader Dunn demands the warden gets the press to the block. The plan is to expose the conditions and overcrowding that they live in, however negotiations between prisoners and the prison officials are slowed by the involvement of politicians as, in block 11, tensions build between the inmates.Based on the experiences of producer Walt Wanger it is no surprise that the strength of this film is its documentary-feel. It is gritty and does feel pretty realistic and for the most part this does carry the film along well and make for a solid drama. At times it is far too stagy and has some dialogue scenes that scream "message" as they make the points in very obvious ways. The drama unfolds well though, despite the occasionally clunky script, and the interplay between those at the coalface and those in political power is convincing, as is the range of attitudes within the group of convicts themselves.The acting isn't up to much, which is perhaps part of this being a low budget b-movie and they do struggle with the rather unnatural dialogue given to them at times. That said though, Brand does well as Dunn while Meyer's warden is solid if a little stiff. Faylen's politician is a bit too one dimensional to be of intelligent use but he serves his purpose. The support cast are mostly good wallpaper with turns from Gordon, Osterloh and others. Siegel directs with an eye for realism and grit, responsible for the film having an edge of realism.Overall then, a solid drama with a gritty documentary feel. It is a bit stagy and has unnatural dialogue at times but mostly it is good enough to cover these weaknesses.