My Six Convicts is a 1952 American crime film noir directed by Hugo Fregonese and starring Millard Mitchell, Gilbert Roland, John Beal and Marshall Thompson.
Contents
Plot
Prison psychologist Doc attempts to help his incarcerated patients.
Cast
Millard Mitchell as James Connie
Gilbert Roland as Punch Pinero
John Beal as Doc
Marshall Thompson as Blivens Scott
Alf Kjellin as Clem Randall
Henry Morgan as Dawson
Jay Adler as Steve Kopac
Regis Toomey as Dr. Gordon
Fay Roope as the Warden
Carleton Young as Captain Haggerty
John Marley as Knotty Johnson
Russ Conway as Dr. Hughes
Byron Foulger as Dr. Brint
Charles Bronson as Jocko (as Charles Buchinsky)
Production
The screenplay was adapted by Michael Blankfort from the autobiographical book My Six Convicts: A Psychologist's Three Years in Fort Leavenworth, written by Donald Powell Wilson.
The film was shot on location at San Quentin State Prison, where warden Clinton Duffy had implemented reforms that sought to rehabilitate prisoners much in the same way as does the Doc character. Because of San Quentin's strict policy prohibiting women from entering the inner prison area, a short prison guard was asked to impersonate the Mrs. Randall character in long shots. Actress Carol Savage portrayed the character in closeup studio shots.
Musical director Dimitri Tiomkin visited Sing Sing prison to hear the prisoners' band and songs sung by the prisoners in preparation for his film score.
Reception
In a contemporary review for The New York Times, critic A. H. Weiler wrote: "[P]enology, psychology and crime have been blended into a compassionate, thoughtful, incisive and, above all, genuinely humorous account of life behind prison walls. ... There may be doubters who will scoff at the possibility of a convict such as Connie being permitted to leave the penitentiary (under guard) to open a bank safe but as played by Millard Mitchell, who runs off with the acting honors, the facts are not particularly important."
Director Hugo Fregonese received fan letters from prison inmates and said, "I'm flattered. After all, these are the first fan letters I've ever received."