Road Gang

This is a pretty rough, tough, gritty drama exposing the road gang conditions. Of course, the movie buffs will compare it with Mervyn Le Roy's I WAS A FUGITIVE FROM A CHAIN GANG; not exactly the same story but at least the same realistic depiction of what prison camps were in those times. Louis King was a pretty good director but maybe lacked ambition to be the the equal of his brother Henry. This is not a crime film, despite the prison, road gang scheme, but a solid drama that should not be despised, because of being a B movie. This is a pure little gem, don't make the mistake to underestimate it.

Road Gang (1936)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

"B" picture from Warner about a reporter (Donald Woods) trying to bring down a dirty politician but before he can he along with a friend and set-up and thrown into a corrupt prison system. Once there the reporter sees the abuse that prisoners are receiving so he sets out to do something about it. This here is obviously just a low-budget rip on I AM A FUGITIVE FROM A CHAIN GANG and while it's nowhere nearly as great as that film, on its own this here remains mildly entertaining. The best thing is that it barely clocks in at a hour, which means were just given a bunch of fast-paced action. The film really doesn't have too much to say as it just goes through the motions and delivers the action. A lot of credit has to go to Woods who manages to keep the viewer interested in his character and this here helps keeps us entertained in the film. The supporting cast also features Kay Linaker as the girlfriend, Carlyle Moore, Jr. as the best friend and small roles from Henry O'Neill, Joe King and Edward Van Sloan. At just over a hour there's really not too much "story" here but that's pretty much what you'd expect from a film like this. It's main purpose was to entertain and it does a good job at that. One strange thing is that there's some editing to the soundtrack because one character is being addressed by a certain name (Moett) and this character is listen in the credits under this name. However, it's clear that the other characters are calling him by a different name (Metcalf) so why the edited soundtrack appears to be a mystery.

This film was made by the B-movie unit at First National/Warner Brothers. Because it's a B, it only lasts about an hour and stars a relative unknown, Donald Woods. However, although many folks normally assume that a B-movie is synonymous with a 'bad movie', this is DEFINITELY not the case with this movie. Thanks to exceptional writing and direction, the film sure satisfies.

This film is from the social reform era in Hollywood. Many films were made by this studio which questioned the penal system--such as "I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang", "Mayor of Hell", "20,000 Years in Sing Sing" and "Angels With Dirty Faces". In this same tradition is "Road Gang"--a film not just about government corruption but corruption in the chain gang system.

A crusading reporter has gotten on the wrong side of a bunch of crooked politicians. They try to bribe him to keep his mouth shut but he vows to bring down the corrupt officials. So, shortly after this meeting with the crooks, this reporter (Woods) is convicted on trumped up charges along with his friend. They are sent to a brutal chain gang--one that is run by people working for the same crooked machine. The plan is to work the two to death so that they never can have a chance to publish anything. And, when the newspaper man tries to smuggle out a story about the brutality, he's sent to an even worse place--a place where they have no intention of allowing anyone to see him again. What's next? See the film.

This film works on so many levels. The dialog is great, the plot works very well and the film really gets its point across. On top of that, it has a really good ending. This film has it all--and is better than you'd ever expect from a tiny-budgeted movie.

This is a great little film. I found it to be heartbreaking to watch, because things like this did happen in the South in the past. Donald Woods and Carlyle Moore, Jr.(one of my favorite unsung actors) are excellent in this film. This film is always compared to "I Was A Fugitive From A Chain Gang" and although the comparison is unfair, it is still a great film to watch.

Framed for crimes they did not commit, two young men are sentenced to five years at hard labor on a Southern prison's brutal ROAD GANG.

Here is a fine example of the type of crime film which Warner Bros. produced so well. Although there are no big stars in the film, the acting is generally good, the stifling atmosphere is well maintained and the production values - especially in the prison camp/mine sequences - are of a high standard.

Donald Woods makes a sturdy, stalwart hero; made to endure various humiliations & punishments, he never wavers in his fight for justice. This is quite typical of the fine performances Woods gave during his career. Kay Linaker is enjoyable as his courageous fiancée.

The film is sparked by a handful of noteworthy performances among the large cast: Carlyle Moore Jr. as Woods faithful, tragic buddy; Henry O'Neill as a slick, utterly corrupt politician; Edward Van Sloan as a shyster lawyer; Olin Howlin as the lethargic prison doctor; and Charles Middleton as the Blackfoot Mine's vile warden.

ROAD GANG was a partial re-make of Warner's' hit film from four years earlier, I AM A FUGITIVE FROM A CHAIN GANG (1932), starring Paul Muni. In the days of the studio factory system, when churning out one picture after another in an almost endless supply was vitally important, it was not at all unusual to recycle the plots of successful A movies. The B pictures department would change elements here & there (ROAD GANG has a much happier ending than the Muni film), and release an entirely new picture, hoping for another winner. This was the first film scripted by the young Dalton Trumbo, destined to be famous for more than just his celebrated screenwriting abilities.