Prison Pictures from Hollywood: Plots, Critiques, Casts and Credits for 293 Theatrical and Made-For-Television Releases

by James Robert Parish

"Pile out, you tramps. It's the end of the line," begins Caged , a remarkable on-screen study of women behind bars released by Warner Bros. in 1950. The well-defined conventions of this picture and almost 300 others in the prison film genre are examined. Four subgenres sociological studies (e.g., I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang, 1932), raucous comedies ( Stir Crazy, 1980), black action pictures ( Riot, 1968) and exploitation entries ( Chained Heat, 1983). Comprehensive cast/character and technical listings and an essay blending synopsis, contemporary review quotes, production details with costs and analysis are given for each feature. Fully indexed.

Genres: Film

544 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

James Robert Parish, a former entertainment reporter, publicist, and book series editor, is the author of many published major biographies and reference books on the entertainment industry including Whitney Houston: We Will Always Love You; The Hollywood Book of Extravagance; It’s Good to Be the King: The Seriously Funny Life of Mel Brooks; The Hollywood Book of Breakups; Fiascos: Hollywood’s Iconic Flops; The Hollywood Book of Love; Jet Li; The Encyclopedia of Ethnic Groups in Hollywood; The Hollywood Book of Death; Gus Van Sant; Whoopi Goldberg; Rosie O’Donnell’s Story; The Unofficial “Murder, She Wrote” Casebook; Today’s Black Hollywood; Let’s Talk! America’s Favorite TV Talk Show Hosts; Prison Pictures from Hollywood; Prostitution in Hollywood Films; The Great Cop Pictures; Ghosts and Angels in Hollywood Films; Pirates and Seafaring Swashbucklers on the Hollywood Screen; Gays and Lesbians in Mainstream Cinema; Hollywood’s Great Love Teams; and The Fox Girls. Mr. Parish is a frequent oncamera interviewee on cable and network TV for documentaries on the performing arts. The author resides in Studio City, California.