San Quintín

This is a good solid entertaining formulated prison picture that stars Pat O'Brien & Humphrey Bogart in good form & backed by an excellent cast of Warner Bros. contract players such as Ann Sheridan, Barton Maclane, Joseph Sawyer, Veda Ann Borg etc. Pat O'Brien is the Army Captain Steve Jameson that takes over as the new warden of San Quentin Prison replacing Lt. Druggin (Barton Maclane)who's reduced to a tough prison guard.

Humphrey Bogart portrays Joe "Red" Kennedy a small time crook that gets arrested & lands in the Big House & comes face to face with Captain Jameson who thinks Kennedy can be rehabilitated. Bogart is in his element as the tough convict Red Kennedy but also has some depth & dimension predating Roy Earle in High Sierra. Not just another one dimensional type gangster Bogart so often played in the 30's.

San Quentin doesn't bring anything new to the genre in 1937, the early 30's already introduced audiences to prison life in The Big House, 20,000 Years in Sing Sing & I Am A Fugitive From A Chain Gang. San Quentin is a very watchable prison movie with a winning formula that works if you like the genre. I love prison movies & if it was good enough for Spencer Tracy, Paul Muni, George Raft & James Cagney then it was good enough for Humphrey Bogart.

All these actors were part of the Rogues Gallery of Thugs that excelled in gangster films & did time in the Big House. This is a very fast paced story that packs a lot of elements in just 70 minutes. We see a singing Ann Sheridan, a prison strike, a rifle carrying bible thumping nut ball & of course the inevitable prison escape climaxed by an exciting high speed chase that involves cars, motorcycles, a freight train, spectacular crashes & dare devil stunts.

I have this & several other early Bogart & Spencer Tracy movies on VHS & I'm quite pleased to find San Quentin out on commercial DVD, of course I had to buy it & there's even a commentary for this. Which tells me that San Quentin is a fairly significant movie worthy of some attention & praise. Bogart gets 2nd billing to Pat O'Brien, Bogie was previously in Marked Woman 2nd billed to Bette Davis as a crusader of justice. But in 1936 Bogart had the lead role as a factory auto worker in Black Legion, released in 1937. 1937 was a good year for Bogart. His next film was Dead End.

Humphrey Bogart, Ann Sheridan and Pat O'Brien star in this 1937 film detailing prison life.

A man and army official with a heart, O'Brien is sent to this prison to help reform it from a vicious guard played in his usual sinister way by Barton MacLane.

O'Brien falls for lounge singer Sheridan. Coincidentally, her brother is sent to the jail for armed robbery. Tough guy Bogart is reformed by O'Brien until a misunderstanding leads Bogie to believe that he is being treated well since O'Brien is stuck on his sister.

Jealous and angry of O'Brien being brought in over him, MacLane "arranges" a breakout of Bogart and another inmate with tragic results for all resulting.

This picture details when a criminal tries to go straight but other things just get in the way.

Marc Lawrence, who died recently in his 90s, is also excellent as one of the inmates.

The film also shows emotionally disturbed people being in the same prison as hardened criminals.

Note Veda Ann Borg in a small but captivating role.

They've got a new captain of the guards coming to San Quentin in Pat O'Brien. Barton MacLane who held the job previously is demoted and is in a foul mood.

A couple of new prisoners are arriving as well. Joe Sawyer as a hardened criminal and Humphrey Bogart who O'Brien believes is salvageable. O'Brien also meets up with Bogey's sister, Ann Sheridan and they get to kanoodling.

Each for their own motives, Sawyer and MacLane play Iago to Bogey's inner Othello and Bogey and Sawyer crash out of San Quentin.

Back in the day Warner Brothers was the great working class studio, with many a film of social significance. San Quentin is one of these, but it's hardly the best one. I'm at a loss to see why O'Brien thinks Bogart is so salvageable other than his involvement with his sister.

Joe Sawyer has one of his best film parts in San Quentin. He's a hardened criminal and that's all there is to it. He played a similar role vis a vis Bogart in Black Legion which is a much better film.

Also Garry Owen has a nice turn as a stir crazy convict who O'Brien has to face down and disarm.

Dedicated fans of Humphrey Bogart will like this film, others can take it or leave it.

"San Quentin" presents a good view of what goes on behind the walls of state prisons, not so different from today, except for high tech gadgets that make escape more difficult.

Lieutenant Druggin (Barton MacLane) is relieved of his temporary position as yard captain, much to his dislike. When an army officer, Captain Steve Jameson (Pat O'Brien), accepts a two-year assignment to be his replacement, Druggin sets about to thwart Steve's changes, believing them to be too liberal.

Before arriving at his assignment, Steve spends a night in a club with his army buddies where he meets and falls in love with the singer, May Kennedy (Ann Sheridan), unaware that she has a criminal brother, Red Kennedy (Humphrey Bogart), bound for San Quentin following his capture at the club the same evening.

After meeting May's brother at San Quentin, Steve is determined to reform the young man without informing him that he knows and loves his sister. Red figures in on part of Steve's reform program, selecting those most likely to be rehabilitated for the fresh air road jobs, before based on seniority and good behavior alone. Steve convinces the prison board by explaining how many of the seasoned criminals take advantage of the old system to use the jobs outside the walls as means of escape. All goes awry when 'Sailor Boy' Hanson (Joe Sawyer) pulls strings with Druggin to get assigned with Red on the same work detail. Hanson needles Red about his sister being exploited by Steve by using her brother as a weapon. Hearing about Steve and May's relationship for the first time so angers Red that he throws in with Hanson and they make their getaway. It is now up to Steve to catch Red before he is totally lost to crime.

"San Quentin" has a stellar cast that raises this somewhat routine prison drama to higher ground. Humphrey Bogart's character runs the gamut of emotions but remains true to form as a wannabe tough guy with a chip on his shoulder. The gifted actress Ann Sheridan was seldom given an opportunity by the studio to strut her stuff, but she could make even the most thankless role shine. This time she is given an opportunity to show off her singing talent. Pat O'Brien, while not a versatile actor, could be counted on to give a good performance. The supporting cast of character actors makes every aspect of this tough prison drama believable.

Veteran director Lloyd Bacon delivers the goods in creating a fast paced film with an exciting chase scene near the end, filled with some daring stunt work, especially the motorcycle jump. There is exceptional camera work by Sidney Hickox of the environs of San Quentin, in particular the shots of the yard with the prisoners at times appearing almost surrealistic.

The army Captain Stephen Jameson (Pat O'Brien) accepts the assignment to work as captain of San Quentin yard and he celebrates with two military friends in a night-club. He falls in love with the singer May Kennedy (Ann Sheridan) and he witnesses the arrest of her brother Joe 'Red' Kennedy (Humphrey Bogart) for the heist of a restaurant.

The prison warden tells to Lieutenant Druggin (Barton MacLane), who is temporarily in the position of captain, that he will be replaced by Jameson and Druggin is upset. Captain Jameson implements a rigid discipline expecting to regenerate the law offender inmates and he helps Red. When the criminal "Sailor Boy" Hansen (Joseph Sawyer) plans a prison escape, he invites Red to join him. Red refuses, and Hansen poisons him telling that Jameson is helping him is banging his sister. Now Red accepts to escape to kill Jameson.

"San Quentin" is a dated prison drama, with a story that sounds naive and moralist in the present days but nevertheless is a good movie. Ann Sheridan is gorgeous and I am a fan of Humphrey Bogart; in addition the movie has spectacular car chase and I really like and recommend it despite the bad reviews. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "San Quentin"