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Rent The Big House on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Vudu, or buy it on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Vudu.
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Movie Info
After being convicted of manslaughter, drunk driver Kent Marlowe (Robert Montgomery) is inducted into the rigors of prison life. He befriends fellow cons "Machine Gun" Butch Schmidt (Wallace Beery) and John Morgan (Chester Morris). Together they bristle at the prison's deplorable conditions and especially the inhumane policies of their cruel warden (Lewis Stone). Rising tensions culminate in a prison riot that may shake the institution to its core.
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Genre: Crime, Drama
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Original Language: English
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Director: George W. Hill
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Writer: Joseph Farnham, Frances Marion, Lennox Robinson, Martin Flavin
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Release Date (Theaters): wide
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Release Date (Streaming):
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Runtime:
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Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Distributing Corp.
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Production Co: Metro Goldwyn Mayer
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Sound Mix: Mono
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Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.37:1)
Cast & Crew

Wallace Beery
'Machine Gun' Butch Schmidt

Chester Morris
John 'Morg' Morgan, alias John Everett

Robert Montgomery
Kent Marlowe

Lewis Stone
Warden James Adams

Leila Hyams
Anne Marlowe (sister)

George Marion Sr.
Pop Riker (guard)

J.C. Nugent
Mr. Marlowe

Karl Dane
Olsen

DeWitt Jennings
Capt. Wallace

Matthew Betz
Gopher (gardener, inmate)

Claire McDowell
Mrs. Marlowe

Robert Emmett O'Connor
Sergeant Donlin (policeman)

Tom Wilson
Sandy (guard)

Eddie Foyer
Dopey

Roscoe Ates
Putnam

Fletcher Norton
Oliver (sinister inmate)

Adolph Seidel
Prison Barber (uncredited)

Eddie Lambert
Bit Part (uncredited)

Michael Vavitch
Bit Part (uncredited)

Blanche Sewell
Film Editing

Cedric Gibbons
Art Director

Douglas Shearer
Recording Director

Harold Wenstrom
Cinematographer

David Cox
Costume Design

George W. Hill
Director

Joseph Farnham
Writer

Frances Marion
Writer

Lennox Robinson
Writer

Martin Flavin
Writer
Critic Reviews for The Big House
Audience Reviews for The Big House
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Apr 24, 2017***Spoilers ahead, Maybe?*** Since I like old black & white prison movies so much I expected to like this movie as well but I couldn't get into it.For me it was just OK.Right from the start I felt like I was watching it just to be watching it.Things didn't get exciting until the very end with the failed escape & shoot out.It was the only time I was able to get into the movie but there was only like 10 minutes left so it really didn't matter.During the riot I can't believe they brought out a couple of tanks.I was NOT expecting that.It had me wondering if there were ever any actual prison riots where tanks were used to bring the prison back to order.A thing I thought that was interesting was the inmate that escaped, went straight on the outside & seemed like he would've stayed that way if he wasn't captured & sent back, fell right back into place on the inside, the inmate who I thought would never let prison change him, ended up changing in the end & the main inmate you knew there was no hope for, was never going to change.I'm not sure The Big House is a movie I'd recommend.It got alot of good reviews but I just wasn't into it.It's something you'll have to see & decide for yourself
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Mar 14, 2009an early prison break film. robert montgomery is completely overshadowed by the now forgotten actor chester morris. i'm afraid montgomery would be everyone's bitch at prison. wallace beery is fun and this film made him a huge star. frances marion became the first woman to win an oscar for screenwriting. it's a little hokey at times. i'd like to see what warner bros could've done with it. interesting to note that prison overcrowding was already an issue in 1930
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Sep 09, 2007A classic jailhouse saga.
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