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» » You Can't Beat the Law (1943)

Short summary

Playboy Johnny Gray is framed and sent to prison after his stolen car is found at a holdup committed by Rico, and while the latter is not suspected, his henchman Harry, Creeper and Red are convicted with Johnny. Stung by the injustice, when even his fiancée believes him guilty, Johnny becomes an unruly prisoner and is put in a cell with Cain, head of the prison gang planning a break. The new warden, Frank Sanders, wins Johnny over by changing his cell mate and giving him a chance to work in the prison gardens. Here, he meets Amy Duncan, daughter of prison guard Duncan. In an failed escaped, engineered from the outside by Rico, who is killed, one of Rico's men confesses that Johnny is innocent.

Re-titled 'Prison Mutiny,' this film's earliest documented telecasts took place in Cincinnati Friday 29 July 1949 on WKRC (Channel 11), and in New York City Tuesday 13 December 1949 on WPIX (Channel 11).

User reviews


  • comment
    • Author: Nayatol
    Johnny Gray is a socialite with a bad attitude and finds himself in trouble with the law for minor selfish offences before finally getting framed for a robbery. In prison his outlook becomes bitter, and he plots an escape with other inmates while learning lessons of life from a convict on death row and a benevolent guard.

    It unfolds like any other Monogram picture with stiff acting from some of the cast along the way. It's not bad if you enjoy straightforward B-movie crime dramas. The cinematography is about as simple as it gets.

    It's not for everybody, but if you like Monogram crime movies it's what you are looking for.
  • comment
    • Author: Grosho
    Framed for a crime he didn't commit, playboy Edward Morris ends up in the slammer and becomes a pawn in an escape attempt after gaining favor with the new warden (Jack La Rue). Made a trustee, Morris goes to work at the home of one of the guards where he meets pretty Joan Woodbury, an old college classmate who had a crush on him in prison and is sure of his innocence. New warden La Rue goes out of his way to make some positive changes in the prison, but some of the more bitter prisoners don't like the changes and plot their escape anyway. After several twists and turns, Morris ends up on the other side of the prison bars, causing more resentment, This B prison drama tries to promote the idea that prisons need much reform in order to work, and while that's a nice idea, it is completely unrealistic in the sense that even though 75 years have gone by, nothing seems to have done, and the prisons are allegedly more overcrowded than ever. Morris and La Rue give sincere performances, and Woodbury is a lovely heroine, while a fine supporting cast gives typical tough and realistic performances. It's an interesting look at a continuing problem that tried to provide a solution that unfortunately has been ignored as the men who end up in lockdown for the rest of their lives.
  • Complete credited cast:
    Edward Norris Edward Norris - Johnny Gray
    Joan Woodbury Joan Woodbury - Amy Duncan
    Jack La Rue Jack La Rue - Cain
    Milburn Stone Milburn Stone - Frank Sanders
    Robert Homans Robert Homans - Mr. Duncan
    Charles Jordan Charles Jordan - Rico Henchman Creeper
    Kenneth Harlan Kenneth Harlan - First Warden
    Bryant Washburn Bryant Washburn - Governor
    Selmer Jackson Selmer Jackson - Mr. Bedford
    Paul McVey Paul McVey - Wayne - Death Row Inmate
    George Kamel George Kamel - Jumpy
    Willy Castello Willy Castello - Rico (as William Castello)
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