The southern Michigan prison in Jackson is called "Jacktown" by its inmates. In April 1952, riots broke out, with guards held hostage. The Michigan Governor called out the State troopers. After several days of rioting, an agreement was reached. The inmates got a steak dinner, and ice cream for dessert.
This has little to do with the film, but it's more interesting than anything else crammed into this 58-minute snoozer.
The opening scene is in a delivery room, and the narrator, who does a bad Rod Serling impression, says "This is Frankie Stossel, a child of God. Was he born to be bad?"
No, that would be the director.
Frankie is played by "Introducing Richard Meade," who, after making this picture, became known as "Who is Richard Meade?" Frankie and his pal Vince knock out some poor sucker who is coming out of a Rexall drugstore. Frankie's mother wonders why Frankie can't hold a job. I wonder why anyone would have wanted to have sex with Frankie's mother.
Frankie makes a date with a car-hop, and after he gets her pants off and is rousted by a cop, we find out the girl is only 15. Frankie is charged with "contributing to the delinquency of a minor." So Frankie goes to the slammer (aka, Jacktown). Inside the cozy walls, Frankie makes a new friend, a 300-pound gorilla named Lefty, who wants to protect Frankie from the other inmates.
On the outside, buddy Vince holds up a grocery store and gets shot in the back by the cops. This was before police brutality was invented. The old geezer inmate in the cell next to Frankie starts moaning that he's Vince, just to unnerve Frankie. Later in the film, the old geezer somehow turns into a black inmate, gets younger by 30 years, and sings "Jacktown Blues."
The Warden thinks Frankie is a good kid, and assigns him to work in his garden. This occurs around the 30-minute mark of the movie. I remember this, because for the next 45 seconds, there is a piece of lint on the film. Ironically, the lint gives the most animated performance in this movie.
The Warden has a daughter, played by Patty McCormack (billed as "Miss Patty McCormack," to avoid confusing her with "Mr. Patty McCormack"). She is the only person in this film with acting experience, halfway in her career between "The Bad Seed" and "The Mini-Skirt Mob." I would not say her career was progressing well.
Anyway, Miss Patty makes friends with Frankie. The Warden is not so sure he likes this, so he decides to make Frankie a driver. On his first day on the job, Frankie drives a guard and an inmate into town. The inmate jumps the guard. While the two wrestle on the ground for what seems like an eternity, Frankie just stares dumbly at them. Finally, the guard pulls his gun and shoots if off to the side. Somehow, the inmate buys the farm. Now that is really good shooting. Frankie runs away, and steals a car, only to discover a young kid is asleep in the back. Eventually, he ends up at Miss Patty's apartment, where she confesses she has never been with a man. So what. Neither have I.
Frankie calls the Warden and says a friend is driving him back to prison. He asks the Warden "to leave the light on." What is this, a Motel 6?
The film is boring. The acting is terrible, although Miss Patty does at least try. The music is nauseating, and sounds way, way, way off-key. Some of the roles are played by actual prosecutors and law enforcement officials. They are the ones who should have been jailed.
3 out of 3 found this helpful.
Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
