User reviews

Inside the Walls of Folsom Prison is written and directed by Crane Wilbur. It stars Steve Cochran, David Brian, Philip Carey and Ted de Corsia. Music is by William Lava and cinematography by Edwin B. DuPar.

The sadistic rule of Warden Ben Rickey (Corsia) at Folsom prison has brought the establishment to breaking point. Escape attempts and riots are now the order of the day. Can Mark Benson (Brian), the board of directors' specially assigned captain of the guards, actually make a difference?

There is no substitute for freedom!

Film Noir has some pretty great prison based movies, where the likes of "Brute Force", "Riot In Cell Block 11" and some French classics are simply must see movies for anyone interested in the genre in this film making style. Wilbur's movie is no classic, but it has enough requisite nous about it to ensure it's well worth the time of the discerning viewer.

The stereotypes and prison movie tropes are of course wholesome. We have another sadistic warden (Corsia enjoying himself), alpha male convict (the always ace Cochran), stool pigeons getting short shrift (hello dam buster) and bouts of brutal violence. Jostling within the pent up testosterone stew is the core question of if prison is a place of punishment or a correctional seat of change?.

Filmed on location inside the famous prison itself, we are taken aback from the off when the prison narrates to us as a first person - stentorian like (Charles Lung), it's a neat device that demands we listen to what the prison has to say!. Wilbur (also prison movie Canon City 1948) keeps things suitably atmospheric and sweaty, while DuPar (I Was a Communist for the FBI) photographs with moody monochrome strokes to emphasise the desperation of the incarcerated male.

It all builds to an explosively thrilling climax, a reward for those who stayed patient throughout the long stretches of dialogue. And then it's time for the prison to talk to us again, thanks Folsom, nice to meet your acquaintance. 7/10

I was really very shocked...pleasantly shocked...when the film began. The narration was among the most vivid and vicious I can ever recall hearing at a film's introduction! You can clearly tell this is NOT one of those films that is anti-prisoner but is an exposé of sorts about the evils of this particular prison! In many ways, the toughness and style remind me of another classic film..."Brute Force".

Soon the prison has a riot and several prisoners try to escape. A couple guards are killed and the psychotic Warden (played wonderfully by Ted de Corsia) seems almost happy about it! Now he can really make the prisoners' lives hell! He also beats the ring leader half to death...and seems to take pleasure doing this. He also uses stoolies...and then deliberately exposes them to the retribution of their fellow prisoners...all for kicks! It's obvious that the place is horrible even by prison standards...thanks to this sociopath.

Not surprisingly, a new Captain of the Guards is brought in from the outside (David Brian). He's not a sadist but has plans on straightening out the system and restoring humanity to Folsom. Surprisingly, the Warden lets him implement his reforms...but you also realize that sooner or later, the Captain's days are numbered and the Warden will attempt to destroy the Captain.

Overall, this is a very impressive film. After all, the film stars a lot of folks who are normally supporting actors and they all acquit themselves very well. This is also thanks to a taut script and excellent direction. Well worth seeing...and far better than I'd anticipated!

"Inside the Walls of Folsom Prison", brutal warden Ted de Corsia (as Ben Rickey) cracks down hard on inmates who don't follow the rules, tripling sentences and making sure troublemakers are either shot dead or smacked upside the head. He favors hard-edged discipline, but newly arrived captain David Brian (as Mark Benson) wants Folsom to try a more humane approach with the prisoners. As the two men clash, the inmates contemplate the hellish conditions. Serving a life term, leader Steve Cochran (as Chuck Daniels) is planning an escape. Future "One Life to Live" star Philip Carey (as Red Pardue) wants to stay out of trouble...

Another in a long line of Warner Bros. productions encouraging better conditions those confined for wrongdoing, this one was written and directed by veteran actor Crane Wilbur. He makes the point. Supposedly, this film inspired Johnny Cash to write his classic "Folsom Prison Blues" (1955), but there are no train whistles, and plenty of sunshine herein; in fact, Mr. Cash copped his song from Gordon Jenkins' album "Seven Dreams" (1953). The escape plotted by Mr. Cochran is captivating. Early in the running time, "Dark Shadows" paroled convict Anthony George is the man holding the knife up near Mr. De Corsia's jugular.

****** Inside the Walls of Folsom Prison (5/18/51) Crane Wilbur ~ Steve Cochran, David Brian, Philip Carey, Ted de Corsia

With the exception of Steve Cochran who did do some leads Inside The Walls Of Folsom Prison is a film Warner Brothers did with a whole lot of their supporting players. Both as convicts and guards they tell a gritty tale about Folsom Prison the place where all the really bad apples in the California Penal System go. Plus others when the system has no room elsewhere.

Ted DeCorsia got the career role in this film as the sadistic warden who takes real pleasure in meting out punishment. He has it arranged so he's like Pavlov conducting experiments with rodents all to give him maximum jollies.

Some of the cons are people like Cochran, Philip Carey, Paul Picerni, Michael Tolan and William Campbell. Carey's case is a particularly tragic one. He's due for parole and becomes enmeshed in some of the warden's games. Dorothy Hart has a tragic role herself as the expectant wife just waiting for her man to come home.

David Brian plays a guard who is sent by the prison board to help bring about some changes. He does to a limited extent, but he's defeated with a combination of DeCorsia's game playing and the fact that he's dealing with some really desperate characters.

Inside The Wall Of Folsom Prison is a gripping prison drama that does not let up in tension or drama. A great film about desperate men.

Unfortunately, Crane Wilbur's direction is not strong enough to allow INSIDE THE WALLS OF FOLSOM PRISON to be anything more than a routine prison melodrama illustrating prison reform when a man with new ideas (DAVID BRIAN) is given a chance to change the brutal practices of Warden Rickey (TED DeCORSIA).

And fans of STEVE COCHRAN will be surprised that he has such a peripheral part when he's given top billing over David Brian. His part in the prison escape featured at the conclusion of the film is the only time he gets the spotlight. Otherwise, he's just one of the men unhappy with the prison system and looking for the right moment to make his move.

All of the brutal episodes featured in the story could have come across with greater effect as they have in many Warner prison melodramas featuring stars like James Cagney or Edward G. Robinson or Humphrey Bogart. Instead, the total effect is less than striking because the story ambles on in a way that never lifts it out of routine.

Disappointing. Ted DeCorsia has the meatiest role as the brutal warden and does fairly well with a villainous role. David Brian is merely adequate in a rather colorless role as the good guy.

The narrator of this film is William T. Woodson. He's done a lot of narrating and voice-overs down through the years, particularly the miniseries THE WINDS OF WAR and WAR AND REMEMBRANCE.

Woodson narrated the opening credits of THE INVADERS ("David Vincent knows..."). He also narrates the opening credits for THE ODD COUPLE: "Can two divorced men share the same apartment without driving each other crazy?"

He can also be seen in episodes of such varied television series as PERRY MASON, F TROOP, THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW as well as many others. According IMDb, his last known credit is for an episode of DUCKMAN in 1995.

Who narrates? A snippet of this film is played in "Walk The Line", and the snippet has turned me into a whirling dervish. The narrator voice I CANNOT get out of my head. I have been on the main message board already. Any help would be appreciated. The narrator sounds like the burning bush voice in The Ten Commandmants. I know it is supposed to be Heston as the God voice in the Ten Commandmants, but ......I am not sure. The two voices, narrator Inside Folsom Prison, burning bush Ten Commandmants sound the same to me and I Do not think it was Charlton Heston. I don't know how much can be done with sound manipulation in the 50's. Is anyone else hearing what I am hearing or am I just crazy? Please see main message board, Trivia for thread of answers. Thanks for any help.

Only Leo Gordon was missing among such a cast: Ted De Corsia, Steve Cochran, Phil Carey.... At the same scale as RIOT IN CELL BLOCK 11 and better than REVOLT IN THE BIG HOUSE, this prison riot film belongs too the top five of them, maybe after BRUTE FORCE and THE LAST MILE, of course. Steve Cochran, for me, nearly steals the show for his performance. The director Crane Wilbur also made a good job with another film : CANON CITY, very close to Howard Koch's BIG HOUSE USA. The directing, photography, cast, story telling are purely flawless, despite the tiny budget. Anyway, don't miss this tough, rough, gritty prison film, and don't get surprised not to find many women here, just some small supporting parts.