The Chain Gang, Mostly in the South, was a Reality and the Depictions in this Expose and Other Movies are Accurate. It is and was a Black Mark on Society and Finally Got Abolished After Many Prisoners Died from Abuse and Public Outraged Forced Politicians to Reform the System.
The Fact that Inmates were Used as Cheap Labor for Capitalists, in this One its Building Highways, Unfortunately is Still With Us Today and Our Prison System Still Needs Some Reforms, but the Film at Hand is From 1932 when there were "Sweat Boxes" and Guards with Whips Full of Inhumane, Sadistic Tendencies.
Richard Dix Stars with a Lineup of Some Fine Character Actors Playing Interesting and Offbeat Characters, Like a Deaf and Dumb Inmate, a Flaming Homosexual that Likes "Pansies this big!", a Bible-Quoting Bigamist, a Violin Playing Guard, a Near Blind Prisoner, and More.
It's a Hard-Edged "Message Movie" with Pre-Code Sensibilities that would Vanish in a Couple of Years, but in the Pre-Code Years it was OK to be In Your Face with a Realism and Resonance that was Welcomed Before Free Speech was Locked Up Behind the Guise of "Morality" and Community "Standards".
The Fact that Inmates were Used as Cheap Labor for Capitalists, in this One its Building Highways, Unfortunately is Still With Us Today and Our Prison System Still Needs Some Reforms, but the Film at Hand is From 1932 when there were "Sweat Boxes" and Guards with Whips Full of Inhumane, Sadistic Tendencies.
Richard Dix Stars with a Lineup of Some Fine Character Actors Playing Interesting and Offbeat Characters, Like a Deaf and Dumb Inmate, a Flaming Homosexual that Likes "Pansies this big!", a Bible-Quoting Bigamist, a Violin Playing Guard, a Near Blind Prisoner, and More.
It's a Hard-Edged "Message Movie" with Pre-Code Sensibilities that would Vanish in a Couple of Years, but in the Pre-Code Years it was OK to be In Your Face with a Realism and Resonance that was Welcomed Before Free Speech was Locked Up Behind the Guise of "Morality" and Community "Standards".