Blu-ray Review Caged (1950) Blu-ray Review (1 Viewer)

[Matt Hough]

John Cromwell’s Caged is dramatically daring and emotionally harrowing, the quintessential women’s prison picture.



Caged (1950)



Released: 10 Jun 1950
Rated: Not Rated
Runtime: 96 min




Director: John Cromwell
Genre: Crime, Drama, Film-Noir



Cast: Eleanor Parker, Agnes Moorehead, Ellen Corby
Writer(s): Virginia Kellogg, Bernard C. Schoenfeld



Plot: A gentle, naive, pregnant 19-year-old widow is slowly, inexorably ground down by the hardened criminals, sadistic guards, and matron at a woman's prison. Will she be the same person when her sentence is up?



IMDB rating: 7.6
MetaScore: N/A





Disc Information



Studio: Warner Brothers
Distributed By: Warner Archive
Video Resolution: 1080P/AVC...

Continue reading...

 

[Filmgazer]

Thanks so much for your review of "Caged", Matt! I hope it piques the interest of your readers to discover this riveting, gut-wrenching film. Eleanor Parker and Hope Emerson certainly deserved their Oscar nominations and thanks so much for mentioning Gertrude Hoffman as the elderly, experienced "lifer" Millie. I'm so glad that WAC included a radio broadcast of the film with Parker and Emerson, as I didn't even know it existed!

 

[Lee Sandersen]

A wonderful film, plus I must add that Parker was so beautiful to look at. Not that it should make any difference, but it was icing on the cake for me. Some great old time actors doing what they did best, and what a great job they did. I find it amazing that so many young people will never even consider watching a movie from this time period. First of all, they cringe at black and white photography. Many tell me that if there is no action in a movie, it is unwatchable. They long for special effects and over the top stunts. of course, these have their place, but the great old flicks had to make due with great acting and dialog. I just wish some of them would sit down with me to watch 12 Angry Men or Judgement at Nuremberg.

 

[KPmusmag]

Gut-wrenching, tragic film. Another performance that impresses me was by Lee Patrick. She is so different here than her usual society dame or ditzy wife.

 

[Traveling Matt]

I watched this last night and wow, Eleanor Parker was incredible. The whole film was quite excellent and really stays with you. The only thing I'd change is the final music cue, which left the film ending on a silly tone. Kinda spoiled it actually.

 

[Filmgazer]

I watched this last night and wow, Eleanor Parker was incredible. The whole film was quite excellent and really stays with you. The only thing I'd change is the final music cue, which left the film ending on a silly tone. Kinda spoiled it actually.

I respectfully disagree with you about the final music cue. Max Steiner's blatantly melodramatic music indicates that Eleanor Parker's character has now hardened and will engage in a life of crime. Her flicking of the cigarette is sensational and the fact that one of the hoods who picks her up puts his hand on her knee when she gets in the car implies that she's going to be giving them sexual favors as well. I think it's a very grim, powerful ending.

 

[Traveling Matt]

I respectfully disagree with you about the final music cue. Max Steiner's blatantly melodramatic music indicates that Eleanor Parker's character has now hardened and will engage in a life of crime. Her flicking of the cigarette is sensational and the fact that one of the hoods who picks her up puts his hand on her knee when she gets in the car implies that she's going to be giving them sexual favors as well. I think it's a very grim, powerful ending.

I like the musical idea, and the cue itself is great. It just felt a bit overembellished as the preceding minutes didn't seem to call for such a sudden statement. I also might feel differently on another viewing.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

Does anyone know the name of the actor who plays Georgia Harrison in the radio show?

She does a gut-wrenching performance when she doesn't get parole, whoever she is!

(The end of the broadcast credits the supporting actors but doesn't specify who played which roles.)

 

[Will Krupp]

Gut-wrenching, tragic film. Another performance that impresses me was by Lee Patrick. She is so different here than her usual society dame or ditzy wife.

Lee Patrick is an underrated treasure. She could play society matron (haughty or ditzy, take your pick), best pal, or cheap floozy and never put a foot wrong as any of them. She's one of my favorites.

 

[Filmgazer]

Does anyone know the name of the actor who plays Georgia Harrison in the radio show?

She does a gut-wrenching performance when she doesn't get parole, whoever she is!

(The end of the broadcast credits the supporting actors but doesn't specify who played which roles.)

Gertrude Michael unforgettably played George Harrison in the film, but I have no idea who played her in the radio presentation. Might she have been listed in the broadcast credits at the end of the show? I'll check when I get my Blu-ray copy in the mail in the next day or two.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

Gertrude Michael unforgettably played George Harrison in the film, but I have no idea who played her in the radio presentation. Might she have been listed in the broadcast credits at the end of the show? I'll check when I get my Blu-ray copy in the mail in the next day or two.

As I alluded, the end radio credits go through all the supporting actors but they don't name who did which roles.

Or are you asking if maybe Michael reprised her role?

If so, I didn't recognize her name as read, but I might've missed it.

Even though Georgia is a small role, I kinda feel like they would've made sure the audience knew the movie actor reprised her part, though.

George Harrison was only 7 when they shot this film, so he's not in it!

 

[Ray Faiola]

Thankfully the score to CAGED survived (in fine fidelity) in its entirety and it is the headline title in our 3-CD "DARK SIDE OF MAX STEINER" set.