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Murder in the Big House is a black-and-white American crime drama, released by Warner Bros in April 1942. Structured as an hour-long second feature, it is directed by the prolific specialist in low-budget action productions, B. Reeves Eason, and stars Van Johnson, who is top-billed above the title, in his first credited film role which represents the entire output of his six-month contract with the studio.
The female lead, Faye Emerson, billed alongside Johnson above the title, played starring and co-starring parts in a small number of B pictures during 1940s and achieved TV stardom at the end of the decade and in the 1950s as a glamorous interviewer and personality during the medium's formative years.
Following Johnson's rise to become the 1945 top box-office attraction as a leading man and Emerson's marriage to the president's son, Elliott Roosevelt, the film was re-released to theaters in late 1945 and early 1946 under the title Born for Trouble.
Original Release
04/11/1942
US Release
04/11/1942
Cast
Name | Character |
---|
Faye Emerson | Gladys Wayne |
Van Johnson | Bert Bell |
George Meeker | 'Scoop' Conner |
Frank Wilcox | Randall |
Tod Andrews | 'Dapper Dan' Malloy / Dapper Dan Malloy (as Michael Ames) |
Roland Drew | 'Mile-Away' Gordon / Mile-Away Gordon |
Ruth Ford | Irene Gordon |
Joseph Crehan | Jim F. Ainslee / Ainslee |
William Gould | Warden John Bevins / Prison Warden |
Douglas Wood | Bill Burgen / Burgen |
Directors
Writers
Raymond L. Schrock, Jerome Chodorov
Cast
Name | Character |
---|
Faye Emerson | Gladys Wayne |
Van Johnson | Bert Bell |
George Meeker | 'Scoop' Conner |
Frank Wilcox | Randall |
Tod Andrews | 'Dapper Dan' Malloy / Dapper Dan Malloy (as Michael Ames) |
Roland Drew | 'Mile-Away' Gordon / Mile-Away Gordon |
Ruth Ford | Irene Gordon |
Joseph Crehan | Jim F. Ainslee / Ainslee |
William Gould | Warden John Bevins / Prison Warden |
Douglas Wood | Bill Burgen / Burgen |
John Maxwell | Prison Doctor |
Patrick McVey | Chief Electrician (as Pat McVeigh) / Chief Electrician |
Dick Rich | Death House Guard |
Fred Kelsey | Death House Keeper / "Screw" |
William 'Bill' Phillips | Mike - Henchman (as Bill Phillips) / Mike - Henchman |
Jack Mower | Ramstead - Captain of the Guards |
Creighton Hale | Ritter - Warden's Secretary |
Henry Hall | Prison Chaplain / Chaplain |
Walter Brooke | Reporter |
Virgil Cain | Reporter |
Producers
Name | Role |
---|
Jack L. Warner | Executive Producer |
William Jacobs | Producer |