Experiment Alcatraz (Edward L. Cahn, 1950)
IMDb
Crime | Mystery
Writing credits: George W. George & George F. Slavin (story); Orville H. Hampton (screenplay)
Cast:
John Howard ... Dr. Ross Williams
Joan Dixon ... Lt. Joan McKenna
Walter Kingsford ... Dr. J.P. Finley
Lynne Carter ... Ethel Ganz
Robert Shayne ... Barry Morgan
Kim Spalding ... Duke Shaw
Sam Scar ... Eddie Ganz
Kenneth MacDonald ... Col. Harris
Dick Cogan ... Dan Staley
Frank Cady ... Max Henry
Byron Foulger ... Jim Carlton, Realtor
Ralph Peters ... Bartender
Lewis Martin ... Asst. District Attorney Walton (as Louis Martin)
Harry Lauter ... Richard 'Dick' McKenna
Raymond Largay ... Warden Keaton
[quote] Storyline
A doctor tests his theory that blood diseases can be cured by atomic radiation by using prison inmates as experiments.[/quote][quote]SYNOPSIS: After five inmates of northern California's Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary volunteer for a dangerous medical experiment, they are transferred to a military hospital. The convicts, who have been promised their unconditional release upon completion of the test, are first injected with a metallic substance and then exposed to radioactive isotopes. The test, which will lead to a hoped-for cure for a fatal blood disease, is conducted without apparent incident. Later, however, one of the volunteers, racketeer Barry Morgan, grabs a pair of scissors that have fallen out of nurse Lt. Joan McKenna's pocket and stabs his best friend, Eddie Ganz, to death. After Morgan's violence is declared a side effect of the testing, the experiment is canceled, and Joan is forced to resign. That same day, a distressed Dr. Ross Williams, the creator of the test, arrives at the hospital and is introduced to Joan's wheelchair-bound brother Dick, who suffers from the fatal blood disease. Moved by Dick's encouraging words, Ross determines to investigate the Alcatraz experiment to deduce why it failed. Ross is baffled by Joan's description of Morgan's sudden fit of violence, and after asking Dr. J. P. Finley, the sympathetic administrator of the test, to delay the destruction of the isotopes, he pays a visit to Assistant District Attorney Walton. Although Walton insists that the case has been closed, he directs Ross to Morgan's casino. Morgan refuses to allow Ross to examine him, however, and is indifferent to the doctor's pleas for compassion. After Morgan arranges for him to win at the roulette wheel, Ross is beaten up by one of Morgan's thugs. Sure that Morgan is hiding something, Ross takes Joan to Alcatraz and questions inmate Max Henry, an acquaintance of Morgan and Ganz, about the convicts' friendship. Henry reveals that he, Morgan and Ganz were involved in an attempted escape at Leavenworth Penitentiary, and were sent to Alcatraz together. As Ross and Joan are about to leave the prison, Henry shows them his postcard collection, which includes a card from Lake Tahoe, addressed to Ganz and signed "Ethel." While Ross and Joan head for Tahoe, Morgan hears about their visit to Alcatraz and sends his partner, Duke Shaw, to trail them. In Tahoe, Ross and Joan find out from a real estate agent where the house pictured in Henry's postcard is located and where the owner, Ethel Ganz, works. When Ross tries to talk with Ethel, however, he is knocked out by Duke and two thugs and dumped in the woods. Later, while Ross telephones Finley to ask for another delay in the destruction of the isotopes, Joan tracks down Ethel. Ethel reveals to Joan and Ross that, before going to prison, Ganz, her stepfather, hid $250,000 in stolen money in their old summer house. After Ethel takes him to the remote house, Ross speculates that Morgan knew about the money and, as soon as he found out its location, killed Ganz. Suddenly drawing a gun on the doctor, Ethel confirms Ross's theory, adding that she found the money after months of searching. At that moment, Morgan arrives with his thugs and reveals that he is married to Ethel and that they plotted Ganz's murder together. Morgan tries to convince Ross to give up his pursuit, but Ross refuses to back down and is shot and killed by the ex-convict. Later, however, Finley tricks Morgan into exposing himself by pretending to radiate him with the isotopes and then accusing him of the crimes. When Morgan tries to strangle Finley in the hospital, he is caught by Walton, who, upon hearing of the phony test, arrests him for murder. With his research now verified, Ross is honored posthumously for his selfless courage, and Joan happily anticipates Dick's full recovery[/quote][quote]Experiment Alcatraz (1950) is a strange little mystery, mixed in with other genres. It is somewhat in the tradition of Emergency Call, with a background of doctors, nurses, hospitals, and medical experiments, all menaced by sinister crooks who interfere with this work. There are also moments in the depiction of the bad guys that recall Destination Murder: the crooks and the auction house here recall the night club in that film.
The biggest merit of Experiment Alcatraz is its strange plot, which keeps moving in fairly unexpected directions. Its chief drawback: the gloom of the story. Much of the tale is too downbeat to be much fun. I cannot really recommend it to anyone for this reason. But it does have some interesting moments.
For a B movie maker, Cahn often stressed surprises in his scripts. He seemed to want them to be full of unexpected twists and turns. It is often very hard to see where they are going. "What subject is this movie is about?" is a question the viewer usually asks. In the case of Experiment Alcatraz, it is not obvious for quite a while. The film does not fit into easy genre classifications, and it switches gears in its approaches several times in the first half hour. Are we witnessing an sf drama? A prison movie? A gangster film? A medical drama? A study of corruption? A work of social commentary? A mystery thriller? A horror movie? It is very unclear, and Cahn and the writers keep us guessing. The film switches gears and genres once again towards the finale. Most of Cahn's films that I have seen mix genres to some degree. But this one carries it to extremes.
This coyness is perhaps related to the fact that Experiment Alcatraz is a mystery film. We are kept in the dark about the root causes of the initial events, and only gradually are these made clear. We also do not initially know the moral character and abilities of the people in the film; this too only gradually becomes clear through the action. The characters often gradually show hidden depths. This is true of the doctors in the case: we do not know if they are heroes or villains, or something in-between. The same is true of the convicts, as well. This mystery extends even towards minor characters, such as the convict interviewed in the middle of the film. His real personality and character only gradually becomes evident throughout the interview. Cahn does nothing to signal us at first whether he is a good guy or a bad guy, a reliable witness or someone delusional, or what sort of person he is. This adds suspense to the interview. It also underscores a basic theme of the film: it is impossible to make snap judgments; later in-depth investigations often turn up new approaches and surprising revelations.
As a non-whodunit crime thriller made in the height of the noir era, Experiment Alcatraz is almost by definition a film noir. However, it has little of the feel of the noir films around it. Few noir films have this thriller's medical background. The only exception I can remember is Anthony Mann's Strange Impersonation (1946), also an atypical work for the noir era. Experiment Alcatraz often seems closer to the science fiction films of its time, than to anything in the crime film genre. The film's interest in medicine and technology seems a personal theme for Cahn.
The performers here are serviceable types from the lower economic rungs of Hollywood film: lead John Howard appeared in the Bulldog Drummond films, while convict Robert Shayne is better known for good guy roles, such as in Edgar G. Ulmer's Murder is My Beat, as well as the Superman TV series.[/quote]
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Experiment.Alcatraz.1950.DVDRip.x264.AC3.mkv 
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----------------------------------------------------
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IMDb
Crime | Mystery
Writing credits: George W. George & George F. Slavin (story); Orville H. Hampton (screenplay)
Cast:
John Howard ... Dr. Ross Williams
Joan Dixon ... Lt. Joan McKenna
Walter Kingsford ... Dr. J.P. Finley
Lynne Carter ... Ethel Ganz
Robert Shayne ... Barry Morgan
Kim Spalding ... Duke Shaw
Sam Scar ... Eddie Ganz
Kenneth MacDonald ... Col. Harris
Dick Cogan ... Dan Staley
Frank Cady ... Max Henry
Byron Foulger ... Jim Carlton, Realtor
Ralph Peters ... Bartender
Lewis Martin ... Asst. District Attorney Walton (as Louis Martin)
Harry Lauter ... Richard 'Dick' McKenna
Raymond Largay ... Warden Keaton
[quote] Storyline
A doctor tests his theory that blood diseases can be cured by atomic radiation by using prison inmates as experiments.[/quote][quote]SYNOPSIS: After five inmates of northern California's Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary volunteer for a dangerous medical experiment, they are transferred to a military hospital. The convicts, who have been promised their unconditional release upon completion of the test, are first injected with a metallic substance and then exposed to radioactive isotopes. The test, which will lead to a hoped-for cure for a fatal blood disease, is conducted without apparent incident. Later, however, one of the volunteers, racketeer Barry Morgan, grabs a pair of scissors that have fallen out of nurse Lt. Joan McKenna's pocket and stabs his best friend, Eddie Ganz, to death. After Morgan's violence is declared a side effect of the testing, the experiment is canceled, and Joan is forced to resign. That same day, a distressed Dr. Ross Williams, the creator of the test, arrives at the hospital and is introduced to Joan's wheelchair-bound brother Dick, who suffers from the fatal blood disease. Moved by Dick's encouraging words, Ross determines to investigate the Alcatraz experiment to deduce why it failed. Ross is baffled by Joan's description of Morgan's sudden fit of violence, and after asking Dr. J. P. Finley, the sympathetic administrator of the test, to delay the destruction of the isotopes, he pays a visit to Assistant District Attorney Walton. Although Walton insists that the case has been closed, he directs Ross to Morgan's casino. Morgan refuses to allow Ross to examine him, however, and is indifferent to the doctor's pleas for compassion. After Morgan arranges for him to win at the roulette wheel, Ross is beaten up by one of Morgan's thugs. Sure that Morgan is hiding something, Ross takes Joan to Alcatraz and questions inmate Max Henry, an acquaintance of Morgan and Ganz, about the convicts' friendship. Henry reveals that he, Morgan and Ganz were involved in an attempted escape at Leavenworth Penitentiary, and were sent to Alcatraz together. As Ross and Joan are about to leave the prison, Henry shows them his postcard collection, which includes a card from Lake Tahoe, addressed to Ganz and signed "Ethel." While Ross and Joan head for Tahoe, Morgan hears about their visit to Alcatraz and sends his partner, Duke Shaw, to trail them. In Tahoe, Ross and Joan find out from a real estate agent where the house pictured in Henry's postcard is located and where the owner, Ethel Ganz, works. When Ross tries to talk with Ethel, however, he is knocked out by Duke and two thugs and dumped in the woods. Later, while Ross telephones Finley to ask for another delay in the destruction of the isotopes, Joan tracks down Ethel. Ethel reveals to Joan and Ross that, before going to prison, Ganz, her stepfather, hid $250,000 in stolen money in their old summer house. After Ethel takes him to the remote house, Ross speculates that Morgan knew about the money and, as soon as he found out its location, killed Ganz. Suddenly drawing a gun on the doctor, Ethel confirms Ross's theory, adding that she found the money after months of searching. At that moment, Morgan arrives with his thugs and reveals that he is married to Ethel and that they plotted Ganz's murder together. Morgan tries to convince Ross to give up his pursuit, but Ross refuses to back down and is shot and killed by the ex-convict. Later, however, Finley tricks Morgan into exposing himself by pretending to radiate him with the isotopes and then accusing him of the crimes. When Morgan tries to strangle Finley in the hospital, he is caught by Walton, who, upon hearing of the phony test, arrests him for murder. With his research now verified, Ross is honored posthumously for his selfless courage, and Joan happily anticipates Dick's full recovery[/quote][quote]Experiment Alcatraz (1950) is a strange little mystery, mixed in with other genres. It is somewhat in the tradition of Emergency Call, with a background of doctors, nurses, hospitals, and medical experiments, all menaced by sinister crooks who interfere with this work. There are also moments in the depiction of the bad guys that recall Destination Murder: the crooks and the auction house here recall the night club in that film.
The biggest merit of Experiment Alcatraz is its strange plot, which keeps moving in fairly unexpected directions. Its chief drawback: the gloom of the story. Much of the tale is too downbeat to be much fun. I cannot really recommend it to anyone for this reason. But it does have some interesting moments.
For a B movie maker, Cahn often stressed surprises in his scripts. He seemed to want them to be full of unexpected twists and turns. It is often very hard to see where they are going. "What subject is this movie is about?" is a question the viewer usually asks. In the case of Experiment Alcatraz, it is not obvious for quite a while. The film does not fit into easy genre classifications, and it switches gears in its approaches several times in the first half hour. Are we witnessing an sf drama? A prison movie? A gangster film? A medical drama? A study of corruption? A work of social commentary? A mystery thriller? A horror movie? It is very unclear, and Cahn and the writers keep us guessing. The film switches gears and genres once again towards the finale. Most of Cahn's films that I have seen mix genres to some degree. But this one carries it to extremes.
This coyness is perhaps related to the fact that Experiment Alcatraz is a mystery film. We are kept in the dark about the root causes of the initial events, and only gradually are these made clear. We also do not initially know the moral character and abilities of the people in the film; this too only gradually becomes clear through the action. The characters often gradually show hidden depths. This is true of the doctors in the case: we do not know if they are heroes or villains, or something in-between. The same is true of the convicts, as well. This mystery extends even towards minor characters, such as the convict interviewed in the middle of the film. His real personality and character only gradually becomes evident throughout the interview. Cahn does nothing to signal us at first whether he is a good guy or a bad guy, a reliable witness or someone delusional, or what sort of person he is. This adds suspense to the interview. It also underscores a basic theme of the film: it is impossible to make snap judgments; later in-depth investigations often turn up new approaches and surprising revelations.
As a non-whodunit crime thriller made in the height of the noir era, Experiment Alcatraz is almost by definition a film noir. However, it has little of the feel of the noir films around it. Few noir films have this thriller's medical background. The only exception I can remember is Anthony Mann's Strange Impersonation (1946), also an atypical work for the noir era. Experiment Alcatraz often seems closer to the science fiction films of its time, than to anything in the crime film genre. The film's interest in medicine and technology seems a personal theme for Cahn.
The performers here are serviceable types from the lower economic rungs of Hollywood film: lead John Howard appeared in the Bulldog Drummond films, while convict Robert Shayne is better known for good guy roles, such as in Edgar G. Ulmer's Murder is My Beat, as well as the Superman TV series.[/quote]
Gracias a pranzis por el DVD de la WAC:
Ripeo anamórfico
Código: Seleccionar todo
Resolution: 718 x 476
Frame aspect ratio: 359:238 = 1.508403
Pixel aspect ratio: 476:535 = 0.889719
Display aspect ratio: 718:535 = 1.342056 (~4:3)Código: Seleccionar todo
"C:\x264.exe" --preset veryslow --tune film --crf 19.0 --no-chroma-me --level 4.1 --output "C:\mi_ripeo.mkv" "C:\mi_script.avs" --sar 8:9Código: Seleccionar todo
Format : Matroska
Format version : Version 2
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Encoded date : UTC 2011-08-08 14:22:00
Writing application : mkvmerge v4.0.0 ('The Stars were mine') built on Jun 6 2010 16:18:42
Writing library : libebml v1.0.0 + libmatroska v1.0.0
Video
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Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames : 16 frames
Codec ID : V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC
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Audio
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Stream size : 80.3 MiB (9%)
Language : English ----------------------------------------------------
Web oficial del codec x264 (inglés) | Web en español sobre el codec x264
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