Big House, U.S.A. (1955)
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- Approved
- 1h 23min
- Crime, Drama
- 18 Nov 1955 (Belgium)
- Movie
Photos and Videos
Cast verified as complete
| Broderick Crawford | ... |
Rollo Lamar
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| Ralph Meeker | ... |
Gerry Barker
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| Reed Hadley | ... |
Special FBI Agent James Madden
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| William Talman | ... |
'Machine Gun' Mason
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| Lon Chaney Jr. | ... |
Alamo Smith
(as Lon Chaney)
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| Charles Bronson | ... |
Benny Kelly
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| Felicia Farr | ... |
Emily Evans
(as Randy Farr)
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| Roy Roberts | ... |
Chief Ranger Will Erickson
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| Willis Bouchey | ... |
Robertson Lambert
(as Willis B. Bouchey)
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| Peter J. Votrian | ... |
Danny Lambert
(as Peter Votrian)
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| Robert Bray | ... |
Ranger McCormick
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| William Boyett | ... |
Ranger at Park Exit (uncredited)
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| Nelson Leigh | ... |
Madden's FBI Supervisor (uncredited)
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| Gregg Martell | ... |
Accomplice on Fishing Boat (uncredited)
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| Bill McLean | ... |
Dipsy (uncredited)
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| Jan Merlin | ... |
Tommy (uncredited)
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| Joe Ploski | ... |
Convict (uncredited)
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| Stafford Repp | ... |
Prison Warden Machek (uncredited)
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| Harry Wilson | ... |
Inmate Who Starts Fight (uncredited)
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Directed by
| Howard W. Koch | ||
Written by
| John C. Higgins | ... | (written by) |
| George W. George | ... | (story) (as George George) and |
| George F. Slavin | ... | (story) (as George Slavin) |
Produced by
| Aubrey Schenck | ... | producer |
Music by
| Paul Dunlap | ||
Cinematography by
| Gordon Avil | ... | (photography) |
Editing by
| John F. Schreyer | ||
Production Design by
| Charles D. Hall | ||
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| Hal Klein | ... | assistant director |
Art Department
| Tom Coleman | ... | property master |
Sound Department
| John A. Bushelman | ... | sound editor |
| Frank Webster | ... | sound mixer |
Camera and Electrical Department
| Robert Comer | ... | lighting technician (as Robert S. Comer) |
| William Margulies | ... | operative cameraman |
Casting Department
| John G. Stephens | ... | casting supervisor |
Costume and Wardrobe Department
| Tommy Thompson | ... | wardrobe |
Music Department
| Lester Morris | ... | music editor |
Production Companies
Distributors
- United Artists (1955) (United States) (theatrical)
- United Artists (1955) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
- United Artists (1956) (Sweden) (theatrical)
- United Artists (1956) (West Germany) (theatrical)
- MGM Home Entertainment (2011) (United States) (DVD) (MGM Limited Edition Collection)
- Kino Lorber (2015) (United States) (DVD)
- Kino Lorber (2015) (United States) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
Special Effects
- Howard Anderson Digital Effects (special photographic effects)
Other Companies
- Canon City, Colorado (the producers wish to thank: the people of, for their cooperation in making this picture possible)
- Royal Gorge Bridge & Park (the producers wish to thank: the directors and personnel of, for their cooperation in making this picture possible)
- Sound Services (sound recording services)
- Western Electric (sound recording)
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
When young Danny Lambert runs away from camp in south-central Colorado, he becomes the object of a park-wide-search by his wealthy father Robertson Lambert. He is found by Gerry Barker and told to wait at an abandoned look-out tower while he goes for help. Instead, Barker calls the father and demands $200,000 ransom. The money is delivered and Barker buries most of it. Meanwhile, the panicky boy has fallen from the tower to his death, and Barker drops the body off a cliff. The FBI, led by James Madden, capture Barker but can't convict him of kidnapping and he is given only five years for extortion and sent to Casabel Island Prison. There he is assigned a cell with Rollo Lambar, Alamo Smith, Benny Kelly and Machine Gun Mason. The FBI have now traced an affiliation between Barker and Emily Evans, a nurse at Danny's camp. The five cell-mates, led by Rollo, who plans to kill Benny and dress him in Barker's clothes to throw off the police, execute an underwater prison escape, and head north for the ransom money.
Written by Les Adams |
| Plot Keywords | |
| Taglines | 5 KILLER CONVICTS BREAK OUT! (original print ad - all caps) See more » |
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| Parents Guide | Add content advisory for parents » |
| Certification |
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Additional Details
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Did You Know?
| Trivia | There are two actors who played Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer (and both share a scene together): Robert Bray in My Gun Is Quick (1957), and the most famous, that came out the same year as this movie, Ralph Meeker in Kiss Me Deadly (1955). See more » |
| Goofs | When they're fishing, the fish Rollo has on his line when he pulls it out of the water is obviously already dead. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Featured in The Stone Killer (2015). See more » |
| Quotes |
Rollo Lamar:
Any of you geniuses know what "apparently" means? Alamo Smith: "Apparently?" Rollo Lamar: Yeah. Benny Kelly: Yeah, it means that something that ain't, looks like it is. See more » |