A young Robert Montgomery initially looks as if he will be the focal point of this superior prison drama from MGM, but we soon discover that he's a sneaky little weasel, and the film's attention is hijacked by his cellmate, the square-jawed robber Chester Morris. Third resident of their toilet cubicle-sized cell is 'Machine Gun' Butch, a violent but childlike killer played with broad strokes by Wallace Beery. Plenty of male posturing, plot twists and drama in this fast-moving, entertaining popcorn flick.
Review of The Big House
