Home / The Big House

The Big House

Year:

1930

Duration:

USA:87 min

Genres:

Drama | Romance | Thriller

IMDB rate:

7.2

Director:

George W. Hill

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 2 nominations

Details

Country: USA

Release Date: 1930-06-14

Filming Locations: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Cast

Actor

Character

Angelo Rossitto

Chester Morris

Morgan

Wallace Beery

Butch

Lewis Stone

Warden

Robert Montgomery

Kent

Leila Hyams

Anne

George F. Marion

Pop

J.C. Nugent

Mr. Marlowe

Karl Dane

Olsen

DeWitt Jennings

Wallace

Matthew Betz

Gopher

Claire McDowell

Mrs. Marlowe

Robert Emmett O'Connor

Donlin (as Robert Emmet O'Connor)

Tom Kennedy

Uncle Jed (scenes deleted)

Tom Wilson

Sandy

Eddie Foyer

Dopey

Roscoe Ates

Putnam (as Rosco Ates)

Fletcher Norton

Oliver

Noah Beery Jr.

Convict in Yard (uncredited)

Edgar Dearing

Inmate (uncredited)

Ethan Laidlaw

Trustee (uncredited)

Eddie Lambert

Inmate (uncredited)

George Magrill

Convict in Yard (uncredited)

Chris-Pin Martin

Inmate (uncredited)

Louis Natheaux

Morgan's Lawyer (uncredited)

Charles O'Malley

Inmate (uncredited)

Adolph Seidel

Prison Barber (uncredited)

Michael Vavitch

Inmate (uncredited)

Harry Wilson

Inmate #46375 (uncredited)

Did you know?

Trivia

Robert Montgomery and Chester Morris also appeared in The Divorcee (1930), another of that year's Best Film nominees.

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This film was released in Buenos Aires, Argentina without Spanish subtitles nor any title in Spanish. It was released only for "distinguished English-speakers audience" from Buenos Aires.

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This movie relaunched Wallace Beery's career. Before the coming of sound, he had been a top supporting player in silent films but had been dropped by his studio when sound came in. With The Big House (1930) being a huge hit, and Beery earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, he was back in favor, to the extent of becoming the world's highest paid actor within two years.

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Goofs

The hallway area outside Butch and Kent's cell changes between scenes, possibly due to re-shoots (see trivia).

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The position of Wallace Beery'd head in relation to the wall in the letter sequence with Morris.

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When Anne comes to visit Kent at the prison, and he walks up and says 'Hi sis,' the shadow of the microphone falls across her.

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Quotes

Warden: [to Kent] And remember, this prison does not give a man a yellow streak, but if he has one, it brings it out.

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Prison guard: If you don't open the gates and let 'em out, they're gonna kill all the guards beginning with Wallace. Warden: I'll see 'em in Hell first. Let 'em have it!

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John Morgan: You know it means the rope, Butch, if they catch you? Who's in on it?

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