Systemic injustice had been addressed before, notably in the early 30s with films like "I Am A Fugitive From A Chain Gang," but in the post-war years the penal, justice, and social systems were practically vivisected in a spate of critical flicks like "The Snake Pit" and "Gentleman's Agreement." "Caged" belongs to that period.
Eleanor Parker, a pregnant teenager, is convicted of being particeps criminis in her husband's bank robbery, but she was only doing it out of love. Nevertheless, she gets a year in the slams.
The woman's prison is full of pathetic and revolting women of varying ages and backgrounds. Their one hope is to get the hell out as quickly as possible, which is understandable, except for the wretched old lifers. We are introduced, as in most of these expositions, to the argot of the institution. ("CP" is "common prostitute.") You can guess that the screenplay was done by a woman because the suffering these penned-up creatures go through can best be understood by a woman. They sob, they beg, they're insulted, they give premature birth, they commit suicide. A male prison movie would be full of fist fights, blowtorches, breakouts, bashed heads, and, more recently, homosexual rape. This movie share with the male prison movie mostly the bitterness of the inmates and the sadism of the corrections officers.
Eleanor Parker does alright by the role of the new "fish". (That's part of the jargon.) Her character is so innocent and inexperienced that Powell isn't required to express much more than anguish and, on occasion, horror.
But it's only barely Eleanor Parker's movie. She serves as the audience proxy. The really interesting characters include the constantly angry but not unsympathetic Kitty, played by Betty Garde, probably more familiar as the deceitful Wanda Skutnik in "Call Northside 777." Then there is sexy, cynical, young Jan Sterling, a "CP". Agnes Moorehead is the sympathetic but impotent warden.
But the chief figure you'll remember is the headmistress, the human behemoth, Hope Emerson, a tall plump exploitative sadist who is thoroughly evil and who enjoys her villainy. She's full of contempt for her charges and has connections that keep her in her position.She demands payment for small rewards, like caramel candies and cigarettes. She sneers as she parades around in front of the horny women, all dressed up in what looks like a wardrobe from 1890, talking about how some rich guy is going to take her to a fancy place, then up to his penthouse, and "it's very comfortable, if you know what I mean." The formula -- misery piled upon misery, spoiled hope upon spoiled hope -- is followed so religiously that at times it's almost amusing in its sly way.
Eleanor Parker, a pregnant teenager, is convicted of being particeps criminis in her husband's bank robbery, but she was only doing it out of love. Nevertheless, she gets a year in the slams.
The woman's prison is full of pathetic and revolting women of varying ages and backgrounds. Their one hope is to get the hell out as quickly as possible, which is understandable, except for the wretched old lifers. We are introduced, as in most of these expositions, to the argot of the institution. ("CP" is "common prostitute.") You can guess that the screenplay was done by a woman because the suffering these penned-up creatures go through can best be understood by a woman. They sob, they beg, they're insulted, they give premature birth, they commit suicide. A male prison movie would be full of fist fights, blowtorches, breakouts, bashed heads, and, more recently, homosexual rape. This movie share with the male prison movie mostly the bitterness of the inmates and the sadism of the corrections officers.
Eleanor Parker does alright by the role of the new "fish". (That's part of the jargon.) Her character is so innocent and inexperienced that Powell isn't required to express much more than anguish and, on occasion, horror.
But it's only barely Eleanor Parker's movie. She serves as the audience proxy. The really interesting characters include the constantly angry but not unsympathetic Kitty, played by Betty Garde, probably more familiar as the deceitful Wanda Skutnik in "Call Northside 777." Then there is sexy, cynical, young Jan Sterling, a "CP". Agnes Moorehead is the sympathetic but impotent warden.
But the chief figure you'll remember is the headmistress, the human behemoth, Hope Emerson, a tall plump exploitative sadist who is thoroughly evil and who enjoys her villainy. She's full of contempt for her charges and has connections that keep her in her position.She demands payment for small rewards, like caramel candies and cigarettes. She sneers as she parades around in front of the horny women, all dressed up in what looks like a wardrobe from 1890, talking about how some rich guy is going to take her to a fancy place, then up to his penthouse, and "it's very comfortable, if you know what I mean." The formula -- misery piled upon misery, spoiled hope upon spoiled hope -- is followed so religiously that at times it's almost amusing in its sly way.