20,000 Years in Sing Sing (1932)
Michael Curtiz directed this above average prison, crime drama adapted from the book of the same name written by Lewis Lawes (who really was a Warden at Sing Sing!) by Courtney Terrett and Robert Lord (One Way Passage (1932)), with a screenplay by Wilson Mizner and Brown Holmes. It stars Spencer Tracy and Bette Davis (their only film together), as well as Arthur Byron and Louis Calhern (among others). The film was later remade by director Anatole Litvak as Castle on the Hudson (1940) with John Garfield, Ann Sheridan, Pat O'Brien, and Jerome Cowan (respectively). The title refers to the cumulative sentencing time of all the inmates held at the famous New York state prison.
Since I saw the latter first, the plot summary is contained within my review of that film (follow the link above). As far as I can tell, there is little difference between the two films. In fact, their run-times are within 5 minutes of each other; this one is the longer of the two, and its ending does drag a bit. Even though Tracy played a number of tough characters early in his career (like Davis, this was one of his first 10-15 roles), I think Garfield was better suited to the role. Tracy's character is named Tom Connors in this one. Ms. Davis, who is perhaps my favorite actress (and the greatest who ever lived?), wasn't as much of a factor in her ingenue days (e.g. in this film, as Fay Wilson, she didn't stand out) as she was later in her career whereas Ms. Sheridan (whose performance is very good) was given more to do in the remake. Byron, who was in scant few films, does a credible job if not as effusive as O'Brien, as Warden Long. Lyle Talbot and Warren Hymer play the smart & dumb cons, Bud Saunders & Hype respectively, though Burgess Meredith and Guinn "Big Boy" Williams had already established themselves in these type of roles by the time they appeared in the remake. Calhern’s lawyer Joe Finn isn't much different from the one Cowan played. The role that's changed the most between the films is that of the death row prison priest, played by an uncredited actor (Hardie Albright?) in this one and John Litel, who's given a little more screen-time in the latter. Grant Mitchell appears uncredited in both films as the prison's IQ tester. It's ironic that the first film is longer when the second film contains a court scene (with Henry O'Neill) and more of Garfield's planned escape being shown, including his being conscious of "the heat" being put on the warden by the press.
Most Recent Additions:
Gaslight (1940) - full review!
The Gazebo (1959) - full review!
Passage to Marseille (1944) - full review!
The House on 56th Street (1933) - full review!
Annie Get Your Gun (1950) - full review!
Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964)
Lonelyhearts (1958) - full review!
Good News (1947) - full review!
Wild Rovers (1971) - full review!
Lovers and Other Strangers (1970) - full review!
Topper Returns (1941) - full review!
The Masque of the Red Death (1964)
The Barkleys of Broadway (1949)
Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)
The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (1933)
Requiem for a Heavyweight (1962)
The Winning Team (1952) - full review!
The Hasty Heart (1949) - full review!
Storm Warning (1951) - full review!
The FBI Story (1959) - full review!
Firecreek (1968) - full review!
The Cheyenne Social Club (1970) - full review!
The Spirit of St. Louis (1957)
For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943)
Green Dolphin Street (1947) - full review!
Two Weeks With Love (1950) - full review!
Across the Pacific (1942) - full review!
Evelyn Prentice (1934) - full review!
The Opposite Sex (1956) - full review!
Blossoms in the Dust (1941) - full review!
George Washington Slept Here (1942) - full review!
Million Dollar Mermaid (1952) - full review!
The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934) - full review!
Born to Be Bad (1950) - full review!
The Last Gangster (1937) - full review!
'G' Men (1935) - full review!
The Importance of Being Earnest (1952) - full review!
Comrade X (1940) - full review!
Stand-In (1937) - full review!
[Home] [Hitchcock] [Oscar's Best] [Essays] [Essential Films] [TCM Picks] [FAQ] [Obscure Films] [Links] [Other Reviews] [Academy Awards] [Silent Films] [Movie Index]
