20,000 Years in Sing Sing" is set in the notorious jail in New York State; the title refers to the combined length of the sentences being served by all the inmates of the prison. It was based upon a book written by Lewis E. Lawes, the warden of Sing Sing at the time the movie was made. The character of Paul Long in the film is a thinly-disguised portrait of Warden Lawes. Some prison dramas from this era, notably "I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang", highlighted harsh prison conditions and called for reform, but this one is generally supportive of the system.
The film opens with a gangster named Tommy Connors arriving in Sing Sing after being convicted of robbery and assault with a lethal weapon. His associate, Joe Finn, attempts to bribe the warden to get Tommy special treatment, but Warden Long indignantly refuses. (Apparently at one time it was commonplace for wealthy or well-connected prisoners in Sing Sing to use their money or influence to obtain special privileges, but Lawes and his predecessor had put an end to such malpractices). At first Tommy proves a cocky, troublesome and rebellious prisoner, but his attitude gradually changes under the influence of Long's discipline.
In the early part of the film Long seems a strict-but-fair disciplinarian, but we see a more liberal side to his character when a telegram is received stating that Tommy's girlfriend, Fay, has been seriously injured in a car accident. He grants Tommy a 24 hour leave to see her, on Tommy giving him his word of honour to return at the end of that period. On arrival, however, Tommy gets involved in an altercation with Finn, who has been paying attentions to Fay. A fight breaks out which ends with Finn being shot dead. Tommy now has to decide whether to keep his promise to Long and return to the jail, even though he knows that to do so could result in his conviction and execution for murder. The fatal shot was in fact fired by Fay, but her confession is not believed by the authorities, who think that she is just trying to shield her boyfriend.
Spencer Tracy, who normally played the hero, unusually plays a criminal, although in this case one who eventually reforms. Indeed, by the end of the film Tommy has redeemed himself to such an extent that he can be regarded as the film's hero. This means that the role cannot have been an easy one to play, but Tracy handles it well, making us believe in all the stages through which Tommy passes, from arrogant thug to man of integrity. We also get to see a young, pre-stardom Bette Davis as Fay.
In its subject-matter and plot the film seems to prefigure the film noir style which was to evolve in the following decade, although it lacks the expressionist photography which was so characteristic of noir. Its main weakness is that the plot is not always easy to follow, but Tracy's performance and the way in which director Michael Curtiz handles Tommy's central dilemma- whether to stay true to his word at the possible cost of his life- means that it retains enough dramatic intensity to keep it watchable even today, more than seventy years after it was made. 7/10
The film opens with a gangster named Tommy Connors arriving in Sing Sing after being convicted of robbery and assault with a lethal weapon. His associate, Joe Finn, attempts to bribe the warden to get Tommy special treatment, but Warden Long indignantly refuses. (Apparently at one time it was commonplace for wealthy or well-connected prisoners in Sing Sing to use their money or influence to obtain special privileges, but Lawes and his predecessor had put an end to such malpractices). At first Tommy proves a cocky, troublesome and rebellious prisoner, but his attitude gradually changes under the influence of Long's discipline.
In the early part of the film Long seems a strict-but-fair disciplinarian, but we see a more liberal side to his character when a telegram is received stating that Tommy's girlfriend, Fay, has been seriously injured in a car accident. He grants Tommy a 24 hour leave to see her, on Tommy giving him his word of honour to return at the end of that period. On arrival, however, Tommy gets involved in an altercation with Finn, who has been paying attentions to Fay. A fight breaks out which ends with Finn being shot dead. Tommy now has to decide whether to keep his promise to Long and return to the jail, even though he knows that to do so could result in his conviction and execution for murder. The fatal shot was in fact fired by Fay, but her confession is not believed by the authorities, who think that she is just trying to shield her boyfriend.
Spencer Tracy, who normally played the hero, unusually plays a criminal, although in this case one who eventually reforms. Indeed, by the end of the film Tommy has redeemed himself to such an extent that he can be regarded as the film's hero. This means that the role cannot have been an easy one to play, but Tracy handles it well, making us believe in all the stages through which Tommy passes, from arrogant thug to man of integrity. We also get to see a young, pre-stardom Bette Davis as Fay.
In its subject-matter and plot the film seems to prefigure the film noir style which was to evolve in the following decade, although it lacks the expressionist photography which was so characteristic of noir. Its main weakness is that the plot is not always easy to follow, but Tracy's performance and the way in which director Michael Curtiz handles Tommy's central dilemma- whether to stay true to his word at the possible cost of his life- means that it retains enough dramatic intensity to keep it watchable even today, more than seventy years after it was made. 7/10