Big House

Original title: The Big House

1930
Approved
1h 27m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

Wallace Beery, Leila Hyams, and Chester Morris in Big House (1930)

A convict falls in love with his new cellmate's sister, only to become embroiled in a planned break-out which is certain to have lethal consequences.A convict falls in love with his new cellmate's sister, only to become embroiled in a planned break-out which is certain to have lethal consequences.A convict falls in love with his new cellmate's sister, only to become embroiled in a planned break-out which is certain to have lethal consequences.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.1/10

2.8K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Won 2 Oscars
- 5 wins & 2 nominations total

Photos35

+ 27

Top cast29

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Chester Morris

Morgan

Wallace Beery

Butch

Lewis Stone

Warden

Robert Montgomery

Kent

Leila Hyams

Anne

George F. Marion

J.C. Nugent

Mr. Marlowe

Karl Dane

Olsen

DeWitt Jennings

Wallace

Matthew Betz

Gopher
(as Mathew Betz)

Claire McDowell

Mrs. Marlowe

Robert Emmett O'Connor

Donlin
(as Robert Emmet O'Connor)

Tom Kennedy

Uncle Jed
(scenes deleted)

Tom Wilson

Sandy

Eddie Foyer

Dopey

Roscoe Ates

Putnam
(as Rosco Ates)

Fletcher Norton

Oliver

Edgar Dearing

Inmate
(uncredited)

Directors
- George W. Hill
- Ward Wing
Writers
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Frances Marion's Academy Award for Best Screenplay made her the first woman to win an Oscar in a non-acting capacity.

Goofs
The hallway area outside Butch and Kent's cell changes between scenes, possibly due to reshoots (see Trivia).

Quotes
John Morgan: You know it means the rope, Butch, if they catch you? Who's in on it?
'Machine Gun' Butch Schmidt: Well, me and Olsen and Joe and the Hawk.
John Morgan: The Hawk? That means blood.
'Machine Gun' Butch Schmidt: No, he promised me he wouldn't bump nobody off.
John Morgan: Why, he croaked his own mother.
'Machine Gun' Butch Schmidt: Sure he did. He cut her throat. He was sorry for it. He's all right.

Connections
Alternate-language version of El presidio (1930)

Soundtracks
Taps
(1862) (uncredited)
Music by Daniel Butterfield
Played offscreen by a bugler

User reviews49

Featured review

7/10

Good prison film

Kent (Robert Montgomery) arrives in prison and is put in a cell with Butch (Wallace Beery) and Morgan (Chester Morris), a couple of hardened criminals who run the place. Kent is warned by them to choose his friends wisely. He doesn't.

This is a strange film in that it starts out as Kent's story but gradually turns into Morgan's story. The film moves at a good pace climaxing in the attempted escape where old pals Butch and Morgan have a final confrontation. Robert Montgomery is a wimp/coward/creep in this film while Wallace Beery is the thug.

It's an enjoyable film with a touch of romance thrown in by the storyline involving Anne (Leila Hyams) and Morgan. Morgan escapes and hangs out with Anne and her family. She is Kent's sister. There are tense moments involving him and the policeman that finally re-arrests him. Morgan maintains a smart outlook throughout the film and goes out of his way to protect Kent even though Morgan knows what a traitor Kent has been. Shagging his sister must only increase his inner torment as to what he should do. It all works out nicely in the end!