Caged (1950)

Marie Allen (Eleanor Parker) has been sentence to prison for aiding in an armed robbery. The scared naïve 19-year old must survive the next 10 months amid hardened criminals to get her chance at parole.

It’s not often you find a movie this powerful despite its age. An impressive cast leads to amazing results. Marie’s evolution from girl to broad is brilliantly executed by Parker. Supporting her, but no less engaging is Hope Emerson as prison matron, Evelyn Harper. She is cold, calculating, and barbaric. She enjoys wielding her authority of her wards, but relishes punishment. Harper stands in grave contrast to the prison’s director played by Agnes Moorehead (Bewitched, Citizen Kane). As Ruth Benton, Moorehead is sympathetic and willing to rehabilitate her wards.

Director John Cromwell frames the prison wonderfully, making it claustrophobic and rote. But remarkably, he is able to imbue joy and sadness which the context of the B&W cinematography.

Caged was not at all what I expected. Provocative for it’s time, Caged remains an intense film thanks to incredible performances from all involved.