CAGED is an important movie of its own genre, maybe one of the most relevant due to the way it tackles its gritty and heretofore unexplored subject matter head-on, devoid of sentimentality and hope. It can be even taken as a voice for those women who have no voice, those who regardless of the gravity of their crimes, have been literally "locked away" from society and forced to an accelerated involution into the subhuman where the only way to survive is to become the antithesis of good and give in to corruption, here dominated by the overpowering, smothering persona of Hope Emerson as Evelyn Harper. Whatever its position in cinema history (it can also be placed as one of the earliest examples of queer cinema due to its inclusion of aggressive lesbians and lesbian actresses in prominent roles), CAGED is an unforgettable experience, a perfect match of Neo-Realism, Crime Drama and Film-Noir summed into a relentless assault of the senses that only grows more and more desperate as it delves deeper into its sordid story. Marie, here played by Eleanor Parker in what has become her most-remembered movie role, is haunting as the ingénue who gets ground into mincemeat and comes out a hardened criminal. It certainly is light-years ahead of the blonde dimwit that Judy Holliday portrayed in BORN YESTERDAY which eventually won the Oscar. Perhaps Oscar-voters didn't know what to make of it. Perhaps its very sordidness, its pulp roots, and its B-movie looks took away from its chances. It's a shame that due to its ahead-of-its-time release, CAGED, a dark horse in 1950 (completely obliterated by the larger than life ALL ABOUT EVE and SUNSET BLVD.) has now, nearly sixty years later, grown into a monster of its own despite garnering no awards during its release. However, CAGED is a fantastic film, with a first-rate cast including the likes of Agnes Moorehead, Lee Patrick, Betty Garde, Ellen Corby, Jane Darwell, Sheila McRae, and Jan Stirling in a scene-stealing role as Smoochie and a presence that points at the type of women that would become icons of beauty a full decade later -- think Goldie Hawn and Twiggy.
