A young guard and a college professor convicted of manslaughter both start their first day in prison.A young guard and a college professor convicted of manslaughter both start their first day in prison.A young guard and a college professor convicted of manslaughter both start their first day in prison.
- Won 1 Primetime Emmy
- 2 wins & 4 nominations total
Edward Michael Bell
- Sinclair
- (as Edward Bell)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAlan Alda on his autobiography "Never Have Your Dog Stuffed - and Other Things I've Learned" claims that this movie was shot in real prison with real prisoners as extras. During the filming of the movie, its director Tom Gries made jokes with prisoners that they should take Alan Alda as their hostage because that is the only way they can escape from prison. On the last day of shooting, two prisoners approached Alda and put an improvised knife on his throat telling him that he is their hostage. Luckily prison guard arrived shortly after and carefully negotiated with prisoners to let Alan Alda go. They let him loose telling him that they were just joking. Alda also states that no prisoner was punished for the incident.
- GoofsThe word 'fictitious' is misspelled as 'ficticious' during the opening disclaimer.
- Crazy credits[prologue] "This motion picture was filmed entirely in a state prison. Most of the faces and voices are those of actual prisoners. The story and characters are fictitious, but the situations are real".
- ConnectionsFeatured in The 24th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (1972)
Featured review
How would you cope?
I saw this film at the cinema in the UK in 1972. I remember being pretty shocked and disturbed by it. Actually, I think it helped to keep me on the straight and narrow (more or less) when I spent a year in the States some years later! There was no way that I wanted to end up in an American nick! 1972 is a long time ago and my memory is not what it was, nevertheless the film has stayed with me and I often mention it when discussing contemporary films. I would love to see it again and recommend it to anyone with a strong stomach. Scum - a British film set in a borstal, which was made round about the same time, is also with looking out for.
helpful•182
- keithw-5
- Dec 15, 2005
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