Alcatraz Island

Produced by Warner Brothers, this prison action movie is of course a good film, offering to Dick Purcell one of his most important roles, at least from my point of view, before he played in Republic serials and so many other B or grade Z pictures. But the main flaw of this film is the predictable plot, no surprise in the end. Too cheesy for me, especially from Warner Brothers whom with I was more used to grittier, tougher stories. The wrongly accused fellow trying to prove his innocence has always annoyed me, bored me. But it remains interesting to purchase, no problem. So don't miss this one if you have the opportunity to get it.

While Warner Brothers of the 1930s was known for its big stars and prestigious films, they also made B-movies...as did all the major studios. Sure, there were the tiny studios that made nothing but cheap Bs, but so did all the studios....and "Alcatraz Island" is a B from Warner. When I say 'B', I am talking about a shorter feature film meant to round out a double-feature. These Bs were quickly made and often not particularly good compared to the A pictures-- though there were plenty of Bs that were amazingly good. "Alcatraz Island" isn't amazingly good...but it is enjoyable.

The film is about a 'nice' gangster, Gat Brady (John Litel). While he's larcenous, he's swell otherwise and wouldn't hurt a fly. However, when he's caught for tax evasion, his charmed life goes south VERY fast. He's sentenced to a lengthy term in Leavenworth (despite the nice DA's recommendation for leniency). However, after this occurs, the evil gangster Red Carroll tries to kidnap Brady's young daughter but is soon caught. Oddly, they sent him to Leavenworth as well and allowed him access to Brady. Not surprisingly, they soon get in a fight and Brady is sent to the tough new prison, Alcatraz. So soon Carroll deliberately gets himself sent to this tough prison so he can continue to make Brady's life a living hell. And, when Carroll is stabbed in prison, his death bed confession is that Brady did it...even though he didn't. So how will the nice DA help Brady in this predicament?

The story is mildly interesting but several story elements make little sense--especially in that final courtroom scene. Additionally, the final dialog is amazingly preachy. Yet, despite these problems, the acting and production values are exceptional for a B. Overall, entertaining as long as you don't think about the plot too much!

Below-par Warner's B movie. True, this is a mostly decent production, with Litel, railroaded into Alcatraz by a judge who doesn't care about plea bargains. He gives one of his solid performances. However, most of the lines spoken by other actors are declaimed rather than spoken and the juvenile leads are truly awful.

Alcatraz Island (1937)

** (out of 4)

This Warner "B" picture isn't well known today and it's not really any good but I guess you can give it credit for being the first film to take place on Alcatraz (which was built three years earlier). The story has a racketeer (John Litel) being railroaded into prison where he eventually catches up with the man who tried to kidnap his daughter. After being him he's sent to Alcatraz where they eventually meet again and this time the kidnapper is killed but the racketeer must try and prove his innocence even though everyone knows he hated the guy. Like the gangster drama, the prison film was usually a very good one for Warner but that's not the case here as the film, even at 64-minutes, is just too dull to be that entertaining. McGann's direction really drags things down as there's never any energy in the film and things remain pretty slow from start to finish. The screenplay by Crane Wilbur also doesn't do much as we get a pretty familiar story of a criminal wanting to do good for his new relationship with his daughter yet he keeps getting into trouble all of which is due to either someone else or someone trying to frame him. The movie follows the typical guidelines of a prison drama but the screenplay just doesn't have any edge, soul or even any real surprises. The final five minutes takes place in a courtroom and how everything ends is among the worst endings I've ever seen and something that I'm sure Ed Wood would laugh at. I wasn't too impressed with Litel in his role but at least Ann Sheridan makes a good impression in her supporting bit. Mary Maguire, Gordon Oliver and George E. Stone round out the cast.

You may think this story is about the criminal racketeer and mastermind Garrett Sloane aka 'Gat' Brady (John Litel) who is sent to the big house on a five (5) year stretch but the story is really about the district attorney George Drake (Gordon Oliver) who put Gat away. Gat is not looking for trouble while trying to do his five (5) year stint initially in Leavenworth and with good behaviour he may get out in half that time to spend the rest of his life with his loving daughter Flo Allen (Ann Sheridan). But a disgruntled and former criminal named Red who has it in for Gat gets under Gat's skin which leads to a bit of an unexpected scuffle to which Gat is sent to Alcatraz prison where he will surely spend his entire five (5) year stint since any chance for getting out early with good behaviour has vanished.

Gat's instigator Red, isn't done yet either, and so he follows Gat to Alcatraz only to get a knife shoved in his back to which he takes his dying and last lying breath and unfairly claims it was his nemesis Gat who stuffed the knife in his breath just before he dies.

Surprisingly it is the district attorney George Drake who comes to Gat's defense and reluctantly Gat accepts Drake's pro bono offer to represent him at his murder trial. Of course George Drake is smitten by Flo Allen, but his intentions are sincere for his love for Flo Allen and his conviction to get her racketeer father Gat out of Alcatraz and off of the murder charge of Red to which he is truly innocent.

I won't spoil the ending but to say that love conquers all and the two men Gat the racketeer who is Flo Allen's father, and George Drake the district attorney who is madly in love with Flo Allen who sincerely loves both men, her father and her fiance all may just find happiness after much sorrow.