475:"Plot provides Eleanor Parker with what is known as a meaty femme role, completely deglamorized, and she plays it with considerable ability. There are other strong performances...all running true to the types depicted, and the most colorful is the sadistic prison matron socked over by Hope Emerson. ...The direction by John Cromwell and Jerry Wald's production draw a rather clear picture of the dreariness of prison life and the hopelessness it instills in all but the very strong inmate. There's high and low society, a definite blue book based on crime and convictions, among the prisoners....Art direction, set directions and the lensing by Carl Guthrie all emphasize the grimness of prison life. Cutting has done a good job in holding the footage to 96 minutes, and there is a Max Steiner score that fits the mood of the production."
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Eligible for parole once again, Marie claims to have secured a job outside the prison. However, the job is simply a ruse to win her release so that she can join Elvira's shoplifting gang. Marie leaves the institution a cynical, unscrupulous woman. After Marie is freed, an office assistant asks Benton
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Before taking Marie to a solitary-confinement cell, Harper shaves Marie's head, symbolically stripping her of her innocence. Harper has disagreements with sympathetic reformist prison superintendent Ruth Benton, especially after the latest incident with Marie. Because Harper is a political appointee,
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Kitty finally rejoins her fellow inmates after serving a month in solitary confinement, but she is distraught and mentally unstable. After being harassed by Harper in the prison cafeteria, Kitty stabs Harper to death as the inmates watch and make no attempt to stop it. Marie—now hardened by her
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The film portrays the story of a young newlywed sent to prison for armed robbery. Her brutal experiences while incarcerated, along with the killing of her husband, transform her from a meek, naive woman into a hardened convict. The film's subplot includes massive prison corruption.
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in ten months, Marie witnesses several prisoners who are granted parole but must remain in jail because their parole officers have not secured work for them. One such hopeless prisoner hangs herself. This steadily drains Marie's hopes for an early release.
510:...master of melodrama, John Cromwell directs in a taut style, coaxing excellent performances from his female-dominated cast..."Caged" walks a fine line between a socially conscious drama (and wake-up call) and exploitative, borderline campy fare.
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Despite the rule of sadistic matron Evelyn Harper, Marie gives birth to a healthy but premature baby. She plans to grant temporary custody to her mother with the intent of taking the child after she is released, but Marie's
487:. The publication contended that the film's "stark, gripping" social commentary would be even more powerful if the "dismal atmosphere" of its storyline had at least a few contrasting lighter moments. “'Caged’”,
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will not allow the baby in his house. After Marie is denied parole, she tries half-heartedly to escape. She is not punished for the attempt, but the authorities force her to surrender her child for
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was very complimentary of nearly all aspects of the film's production, including its direction, editing, set designs, music, and cast performances, especially those of Parker and
Emerson:
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the police commissioner refuses to fire her and instead asks for Benton's resignation. When Benton declares that she will demand a public hearing, the resignation issue is dropped.
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attempt with her husband, Tom, who is killed. While receiving her initial prison physical examination, she learns that she is two months pregnant.
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ends up in prison after being framed for armed robbery and also learns later that she is pregnant. The character of Kitty is played by
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of the anti-marijuana films that were presented to students in many
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The arrival of notorious criminal Elvira Powell triggers a rivalry with Kitty. Elvira bribes Harper to place Kitty in
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as "Broads Behind Bars" with the character of Marie renamed "Cheryl" (and portrayed by comedian
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three out of four stars, describing the film overall as “stark” with "remarkable" performances.
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exposure to career criminals and sadistic guards—encourages Kitty in the fatal assault.
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828:(New York, N.Y.), May 8, 1950, page 10. Internet Archive. Retrieved September 1, 2018.
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In a much later review, critic
Emanuel Levy in 2007 generally praised the film too:
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what to do with Marie's file. Benton replies: "Keep it active. She'll be back."
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was created from a revision of this article dated 29 December 2019
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Marie has trouble adjusting to the monotonous and cutthroat world of the
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Married 19-year-old Marie Allen, is sent to prison after a botched
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Film Noir 101: The 101 Best Film Noir
Posters from the 1940s-1950s
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822:"'Caged’ Stark, Gripping Prison Film Is Highly Exploitable"
871:"The 23rd Academy Awards (1951) Nominees and Winners"
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on August 2, 1951, as episode #112 of the network's
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1147:. That adaptation is free for download at the
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928:. Seattle, Washington: Fantagraphics Books.
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713:(New York, N.Y), January 3, 1951, page 58.
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681:of “women-in-prison” movies like
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748:(AFI), Los Angeles, California
416:as Solitary Confinement Matron
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404:as Jeta Kovsky aka "Smoochie"
259:. It was nominated for three
1648:English-language crime films
1613:1950s English-language films
1060:AFI Catalog of Feature Films
516:Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide
1628:Films scored by Max Steiner
1608:American prison drama films
900:"Venice Film Festival 1950"
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1144:Screen Directors Playhouse
769:"Caged! Classic, Not Camp"
519:in 2014 favorably awarded
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584:Best Story and Screenplay
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311:Informed that she may be
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33:Theatrical release poster
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1494:Watchtower Over Tomorrow
843:Emanuel Levy Cinema 24/7
1447:Abe Lincoln in Illinois
1287:The World and the Flesh
746:American Film Institute
644:is satirized in a 1977
569:Best Supporting Actress
1391:Little Lord Fauntleroy
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950:Listen to this article
837:Levy, Emanuel (2007).
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176:May 19, 1950
1638:Women in prison films
1533:The Company She Keeps
1487:The Enchanted Cottage
1415:The Prisoner of Zenda
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924:Fertig, Mark (2014).
859:Turner Classic Movies
705:"Top-Grosses of 1950"
593:Bernard C. Schoenfeld
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279:Bernard C. Schoenfeld
53:Bernard C. Schoenfeld
1643:1950s American films
1045:United States portal
1001:More spoken articles
420:Gertrude W. Hoffmann
333:solitary confinement
1479:Since You Went Away
1431:Made for Each Other
1399:To Mary – with Love
434:as Georgia Harrison
231:is a 1950 American
1633:Warner Bros. films
1598:1950s prison films
1565:A Matter of Morals
1185:Films directed by
1094:TCM Movie Database
971:
776:Noir City Sentinel
637:In popular culture
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1463:So Ends Our Night
1207:The Dance of Life
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935:978-1-606-99759-8
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1407:Banjo on My Knee
1383:I Dream Too Much
1351:Of Human Bondage
1343:This Man Is Mine
1279:Rich Man's Folly
1223:Street of Chance
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574:Hope Emerson
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192:Running time
169:Release date
162:Warner Bros.
114:Hope Emerson
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1549:The Goddess
1327:Ann Vickers
1031:Film portal
906:2 September
727:Fertig 2014
608:Golden Lion
540:Nominee(s)
408:Lee Patrick
386:Betty Garde
374:Ellen Corby
283:Bette Davis
257:Ellen Corby
249:Betty Garde
152:Max Steiner
119:Ellen Corby
109:Betty Garde
82:Produced by
39:Directed by
1588:1950 films
1582:Categories
1541:The Racket
1517:Night Song
1263:Unfaithful
1247:Tom Sawyer
1215:The Mighty
997:Audio help
988:2019-12-29
885:2011-08-19
841:, review,
803:, review,
753:2018-09-01
693:References
667:John Candy
617:Nominated
597:Nominated
578:Nominated
563:Nominated
322:stepfather
217:Box office
196:96 minutes
180:1950-05-19
142:Owen Marks
86:Jerry Wald
49:Written by
1618:Film noir
1303:Sweepings
1231:The Texan
1136:NBC Radio
801:"'Caged'"
744:catalog,
537:Category
527:Accolades
459:In 1950,
447:Reception
422:as Millie
233:film noir
138:Edited by
16:1950 film
1335:Spitfire
1083:AllMovie
999: ·
879:Archived
665:, while
394:as Helen
326:adoption
209:Language
148:Music by
92:Starring
71:Based on
1455:Victory
1423:Algiers
1119:YouTube
1092:at the
1057:at the
986: (
957:minutes
805:Variety
782:25 June
710:Variety
543:Result
469:Variety
461:Variety
313:paroled
212:English
201:Country
178: (
1568:(1961)
1560:(1959)
1552:(1958)
1544:(1951)
1536:(1951)
1528:(1950)
1520:(1948)
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679:parody
534:Award
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255:, and
1525:Caged
1375:Jalna
1132:Caged
1112:Caged
1100:Caged
1089:Caged
1078:Caged
1067:Caged
1054:Caged
855:Caged
772:(PDF)
687:spoof
683:Caged
669:, in
659:"pot"
642:Caged
521:Caged
485:Caged
465:Caged
271:Caged
228:Caged
22:Caged
1072:IMDb
930:ISBN
908:2013
784:2024
675:skit
671:drag
647:SCTV
630:Won
591:and
351:Cast
293:Plot
285:and
1117:on
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