"Shield for Murder" director Howard Koch's procedural prison break thriller "Big House, USA," starring Broderick Crawford, Ralph Meeker, William Talman, Reed Hadley, and Lon Chaney, Jr., chronicles the kidnapping and murder of an eight-year-old lad afflicted with asthma at a Mountain Rangers' recreational camp for boys. The stalwart child, Danny (Peter J. Votrian), emerges triumphantly from a foot race but then collapses from asthma. When a nurse tries to inject him with anti-asthma medicine, Danny freaks out at the sight of the needle and flees from her. Plunging into the vast mountain scenery of Royal Gorge, Colorado, the wayward youth encounters a ruffian, Gerry Barker (Ralph Meeker of "Kiss Me Deadly"), and this lowlife takes him hostage and confines him to a derelict fire tower. Eventually, Danny manages to escape, but he dies in the wilderness. With no sense of remorse, Gerry heaves the young corpse into the gorge. Actually we see Meeker heave something into the void, but the filmmakers are careful not to show Danny's corpse being thrown away. Afterward, the unscrupulous Barker demands $200,000.00 in ransom from Danny's father, Robertson Lambert (Willis Bouchey of "The Big Heat"), and a desperate Lambert comes through with the loot. Gerry stashes his dough where the authorities cannot find it.
Unfortunately, at least for Barker, the Royal Gorge Park Rangers arrest him before he can clear out of the area. Barker told them he had gone fishing, and the Rangers point out that they had poisoned the fish in the lake. Predictably, the FBI are summoned to assist them. Special Agent James Madden (Reed Hadley of "Highway Dragnet") relieves Chief Ranger Will Erickson (Roy Roberts of "The Glory Brigade") of the case, and Barker is shipped off to prison. Nevertheless, since Danny's body has never found, the court sentences Barker to 1-to-5 years in Cascabal Prison in San Pedro, California. For the record, Cascabal means 'rattlesnake' in Spanish. Since he has been sentenced for extortion, Barker doesn't have to worry about a charge of kidnapping. Eventually, the resourceful FBI Special Agent investigates the nurse, Emily Evans (Felicia Farr of "Jubal"), and links her to Barker. After Evans breaks down and confesses her guilt in the kidnapping, the authorities are ready to upgrade the charges against Barker.
Meantime, after Barker enters Cascabal Prison, he finds himself sharing a cell with an unsavory quartet of convicts: Rollo Lamar (Broderick Crawford of "All the King's Men"), 'Machine Gun' Mason (William Talman of "Smoke Signal"), Alamo Smith (Lon Chaney, Jr. Of "The Wolf Man"), and Benny Kelly (Charles Bronson of "Death Wish"). Rollo has acquired a reputation for being a bank robbery mastermind. At one time, he served as a gangland consultant on heists. Rollo learns about Barker's $200-thousand, and he demands his share of it after he convinces Barker to crash out with them. These four convicts have carefully orchestrated their escape attempt. Benny steals enough oxygen bottles that come with 20 minutes of air for each man to wear. Rollo orders some inmates to brawl, and the warden locks down the facility until the guards can restore order. Meantime, the quintet of inmates slip out, strap on their air tanks, and swim into the lake from an exit valve from the prison. A boat awaits them. No sooner are they aboard and making waves than Rollo coerces a reluctant 'Machine Gun' to crush Benny's head with a hammer. Furthermore, Rollo makes 'Machine Gun' burn off Benny's facial features and his fingerprints with a blow torch. Initially, the escapees succeed in convincing the authorities that Barker perished during the escape.
Not long afterward, however, the FBI learns Barker is still alive because the medical examiner analyzed the dead man's remains and discovered it wasn't Barker. When Barker had been admitted to Cascabal, the physicians discovered the extortionist was suffering from an untreated hernia. The warden offered to repair Barker's hernia, but the convict was afraid that he might divulge information about the kidnapping while he was under anesthesia. By this time, the surviving criminals arrive at Royal Gorge, and Barker takes them to the loot. Happily, the FBI and the Park Rangers corner these reprobates on a high slope with a gorge directly behind the convicts. A gunfight follows, and most are either slain or taken alive. As the film concludes, we are informed that Danny's body was never found.
"Clash by Night" scenarist John C. Higgins penned "Big House, USA" from a story by George W. George and George F. Slavin. George spent most of his career writing television shows, but he also wrote the screenplay for "Fort Dobbs," "Apache Territory," and "Smoke Signal." Slavin wrote "Uranium Boom," "Son of Robin Hood," "Desert Sands," and "My Friend Flicka," as well as virtually every prime-time television show ranging from "Star Trek" to "Mission Impossible" to "The Untouchables." More than likely, the two Georges wrote the original script, and then Higgins came onto the project for the rewrite. The action unfolds with Barker's abduction of Danny, and this seems to go on far longer than necessary. Actually, the kidnapping lands Barker in the slammer, and he becomes an object in Rollo's master scheme to not only crash out of Cascabal but also split the loot with him. Clocking in at 85 concise minutes, the black & white lensed "Big House, USA" with its standard issue 'crime does not pay' message amounts to nothing special. Koch does make this rather unpleasant yarn as palatable as possible considering its repugnant violence.
Unfortunately, at least for Barker, the Royal Gorge Park Rangers arrest him before he can clear out of the area. Barker told them he had gone fishing, and the Rangers point out that they had poisoned the fish in the lake. Predictably, the FBI are summoned to assist them. Special Agent James Madden (Reed Hadley of "Highway Dragnet") relieves Chief Ranger Will Erickson (Roy Roberts of "The Glory Brigade") of the case, and Barker is shipped off to prison. Nevertheless, since Danny's body has never found, the court sentences Barker to 1-to-5 years in Cascabal Prison in San Pedro, California. For the record, Cascabal means 'rattlesnake' in Spanish. Since he has been sentenced for extortion, Barker doesn't have to worry about a charge of kidnapping. Eventually, the resourceful FBI Special Agent investigates the nurse, Emily Evans (Felicia Farr of "Jubal"), and links her to Barker. After Evans breaks down and confesses her guilt in the kidnapping, the authorities are ready to upgrade the charges against Barker.
Meantime, after Barker enters Cascabal Prison, he finds himself sharing a cell with an unsavory quartet of convicts: Rollo Lamar (Broderick Crawford of "All the King's Men"), 'Machine Gun' Mason (William Talman of "Smoke Signal"), Alamo Smith (Lon Chaney, Jr. Of "The Wolf Man"), and Benny Kelly (Charles Bronson of "Death Wish"). Rollo has acquired a reputation for being a bank robbery mastermind. At one time, he served as a gangland consultant on heists. Rollo learns about Barker's $200-thousand, and he demands his share of it after he convinces Barker to crash out with them. These four convicts have carefully orchestrated their escape attempt. Benny steals enough oxygen bottles that come with 20 minutes of air for each man to wear. Rollo orders some inmates to brawl, and the warden locks down the facility until the guards can restore order. Meantime, the quintet of inmates slip out, strap on their air tanks, and swim into the lake from an exit valve from the prison. A boat awaits them. No sooner are they aboard and making waves than Rollo coerces a reluctant 'Machine Gun' to crush Benny's head with a hammer. Furthermore, Rollo makes 'Machine Gun' burn off Benny's facial features and his fingerprints with a blow torch. Initially, the escapees succeed in convincing the authorities that Barker perished during the escape.
Not long afterward, however, the FBI learns Barker is still alive because the medical examiner analyzed the dead man's remains and discovered it wasn't Barker. When Barker had been admitted to Cascabal, the physicians discovered the extortionist was suffering from an untreated hernia. The warden offered to repair Barker's hernia, but the convict was afraid that he might divulge information about the kidnapping while he was under anesthesia. By this time, the surviving criminals arrive at Royal Gorge, and Barker takes them to the loot. Happily, the FBI and the Park Rangers corner these reprobates on a high slope with a gorge directly behind the convicts. A gunfight follows, and most are either slain or taken alive. As the film concludes, we are informed that Danny's body was never found.
"Clash by Night" scenarist John C. Higgins penned "Big House, USA" from a story by George W. George and George F. Slavin. George spent most of his career writing television shows, but he also wrote the screenplay for "Fort Dobbs," "Apache Territory," and "Smoke Signal." Slavin wrote "Uranium Boom," "Son of Robin Hood," "Desert Sands," and "My Friend Flicka," as well as virtually every prime-time television show ranging from "Star Trek" to "Mission Impossible" to "The Untouchables." More than likely, the two Georges wrote the original script, and then Higgins came onto the project for the rewrite. The action unfolds with Barker's abduction of Danny, and this seems to go on far longer than necessary. Actually, the kidnapping lands Barker in the slammer, and he becomes an object in Rollo's master scheme to not only crash out of Cascabal but also split the loot with him. Clocking in at 85 concise minutes, the black & white lensed "Big House, USA" with its standard issue 'crime does not pay' message amounts to nothing special. Koch does make this rather unpleasant yarn as palatable as possible considering its repugnant violence.