martin-fennell
Exceptional, told in a simple and effective manner, with little violence. Eastwood is his usual self,(did I mean wooden) but the rest of the cast, particularly McGoohan and Benjamin are excellent. THe atmosphere is catastrophic, and brilliantly conveyed. It would have been even more effective in b/w. Highly recommended.
Woodyanders
Shrewd bank robber Frank Morris (superbly played with commendable restraint by Clint Eastwood) gets sent to serve time in the legendary maximum security prison Alcatraz. Run with an iron fist by a ruthless and sadistic warden (a marvelously wicked portrayal by Patrick McGoohan), Morris plots to escape from the penitentiary that's supposed to be impossible to break out of.Director Don Siegel astutely nails the drab monotony, stark brutality, and utter hopelessness of life behind bars in a compelling, straightforward, and refreshingly unsentimental manner. Richard Tuggle's tight script wisely avoids any melodramatic subplots or heavy-handed social commentary. While Eastwood clearly dominates the film with his trademark quietly commanding authority, he nonetheless receives terrific support from Roberts Blossom as easygoing and artistic old felon Doc, Fred Ward as the cocky John Anglin, Jack Thibeau as John's hotheaded brother Clarence, Richard Benjamin as the antagonistic English, Larry Hankin as the meek Charley Butts, Frank Ronzio as the amiable Litmus, and Bruce M. Fischer as monstrous predator Wolf. The sharp, yet no-frills cinematography by Bruce Surtees further adds to the overall gritty realism. Jerry Fielding's spare moody score rates as another significant asset. The climactic escape is expertly staged with Siegel's customary clockwork precision for supreme tension and excitement. Excellent.
daveygenius
Just watched this classic film tonight, an understated masterpiece from beginning to end...It's very rare to see a film that leaves you wondering, will they succeed, will they fail and so on.... Without giving away spoilers I will be buying this classic on DVD for my permanent collection!Characters through a true story combine well, many familiar faces no doubt launching their careers through this film... For example "Mr heckles" in friends aka Charlie bunns, and the doc, in a particularly standout scene also played old man Marley in home alone 1990 amongst others.....If you have never seen this film get it on demand!
SnoopyStyle
It's 1960 San Francisco. Bank robber Frank Morris (Clint Eastwood) has tried too many escapes and is brought to Alcatraz where no one has ever escaped from. He befriends Litmus with his mouse and becomes Wolf's enemy. English (Paul Benjamin) runs the library. It turns out that English is the top among the blacks. Charley Butts moves into the next cell. Brothers Clarence Anglin and John Anglin (Fred Ward) join Frank in Alcatraz after a failed escape.It's a nice prison movie with all the horrors that entails and an escape scheme. It's a bit slow and lacks a truly scary opponent. The warden is nothing special. Patrick McGoohan doesn't have enough threatening presence. Wolf is too soft and goes away for much of the movie. I wish more is done with the antagonists of the movie. Nevertheless, it's a good escape movie. Clint is at the top of his game.
