Perhaps not as good as it should have been considering the talent on show? But San Quentin remains an above average drama that achieves its aim. The formula is a familiar one with the genre, in that we get a Governor who wants to do good, he believes in rehabilitation, but can he straighten out the unruly and etc etc? The situation is further complicated because here Governor Jameson {a solid Pat O'Brien} has to deal with the interesting slant of having his lover's Brother {Bogart} serving time under his tenure. The character build up is adequate considering the relatively short running time of the film, and some sequences are well executed and have genuine tension. But the film's ultimate bonus point is the ending, which quite took me by surprise, so much so I was really impressed that they chose to go down this route.
This is not merely a film for Bogart completists, it's a well laid out genre piece from a great age of cinema, and, thankfully, it is acted out accordingly to get it a thumbs up recommend. 7/10
This is not merely a film for Bogart completists, it's a well laid out genre piece from a great age of cinema, and, thankfully, it is acted out accordingly to get it a thumbs up recommend. 7/10