The Steel Cage (1954)

The Steel Cage is a 1954 American film noir drama film directed by Walter Doniger, written by Oliver Crawford, Walter Doniger, Scott Littleton, Berman Swarttz and Guy Trosper, and starring Paul Kelly, Maureen O'Sullivan, Walter Slezak, John Ireland, Lawrence Tierney and Arthur Franz. It was released in December 1954, by United Artists.

Plot

In three separate stories, San Quentin warden Duffy must contend with a crisis at the prison.

Louis, a prison cook, is about to be paroled, upsetting fellow inmate Brenner, who loves Louis's food so much that he tries to bribe him to stay behind bars. After that plan fails, a customer comes to a restaurant where Louis has been hired as chef. His insults about the dishes are so insulting, Louis smashes a plate over his head, breaking his parole. Behind prison walls again, Louis learns that Brenner's the one who sent the customer, Lee Filbert, who is now a San Quentin prisoner himself.

Ruthless convict Chet Harmon plans a breakout with help from brothers Al and Frank. A gun is planted and Chet is almost successful, taking Warden Duffy hostage, but Al has second thoughts after his brother is seriously wounded.

A mural of The Last Supper needs repair in the prison's chapel, so chaplain Harvey asks an artistically inclined inmate named Steinberg to do the restoration. Two other prisoners are sneaking in liquor through the chapel, so Steinberg demands a piece of their action. They end up taking the priest hostage as Duffy deals with a deadly confrontation.

Cast

Paul Kelly as Warden Clinton T. Duffy

Maureen O'Sullivan as Gladys Duffy

Walter Slezak as Louis

John Ireland as Al

Lawrence Tierney as Chet Harmon

Arthur Franz as Chaplain Harvey

Kenneth Tobey as Steinberg

George Cooper as Charlie Rivers

Alan Mowbray as Lee Filbert

George E. Stone as Solly

Lyle Talbot as Square

Elisabeth Fraser as Marie

Stanley Andrews as Roy

Morris Ankrum as Prison Board Member Garvey

Don Beddoe as Prison Board Member Alan Ferness

Robert Bice as Convict in Mess Hall

George Chandler as Shorty Lanning

Ned Glass as Pete

Herb Jacobs as Convict

Henry Kulky as George

Charles Nolte as Frank

Gene Roth as Billy Brenner

James Seay as Dr. Perry

Charles Tannen as Convict Patient

Ben Welden as Mike

References

External links

The Steel Cage at IMDb