classicsoncall More so than the story itself, I was intrigued by the opening scene which described the rackets as a lottery scheme peddled to folks in poor neighborhoods offering a reasonable 600 to 1 shot at hitting a winner. With bets ranging anywhere from a dime to thirty cents, this operation was netting gangster Frankie Terris (Fred Keating) a million bucks a year! The math doesn't really work for me, but it sounded pretty good.The other thing I didn't get was Frankie handing over the rackets to rival Manny Robbins (Alexander Leftwich) - really? I didn't understand the motivation for that. Sure he was about to be investigated for his involvement in the phony lottery scheme, but what gangster worth his salt hasn't been? It just didn't make any sense. This after Manny had agreed to work with the authorities to bring Frankie down. I think that would have been a more interesting story.Instead, big brother Frankie knocks off Manny's son Joe (James Blakeley) for getting frisky with sister Louise (Dorothy Comingore as Linda Winters). The rest of the film follows Frankie being convicted of murder and riding the prison train of the title cross country to Alcatraz, as Manny seeks revenge following along by car and biding his time until he can kill Frankie himself. The kicker here is that Louise stows away aboard the train intending to warn her brother of the plot. Think about that one for a while.You know, this was kind of curious - because Louise hopped aboard the train without a ticket, she wound up with no money to pay for one when the conductor came around. So undercover federal agent Bill Adams (Peter Potter) states that she can have his for the next leg of the trip. With that, the conductor says he'll arrange for a refund for that portion of Adams' fare. What am I missing here? So with the other convicts taunting Frankie about never making it to Alcatraz, he gets more and more paranoid as Manny and his goons make plans for the rubout at the Kansas City stop. Frankie muscles a gun away from a steward (Clarence Muse), shoots Manny, and then, in as convoluted a finish as I've ever seen, falls off the train to his death! What?!?! I thought that was just a goofy way to end the picture, but apparently Alfred Hitchcock must have liked the idea, because he used the same finish in 1943's "Shadow of a Doubt".

kidboots Clarence Muse was the star of the first all singing, all talking, all dancing film featuring an all black cast. It was "Hearts in Dixie" (1929) but even though Muse fought against demeaning stereo- types and also held a law degree, he was powerless to make a difference in those unenlightened times. After a couple of "race" films, it was back to uncredited parts in films like "Swing High" (1930) and "White Zombie" (1932) or even playing a character by the name of "Whitey" in "Broadway Bill" (1934). Although "train steward" doesn't sound important, Muse makes it so and is a very pivotal part of the action in this interesting programmer. Racketeer Frankie Terris is on train bound for Alcatraz. He is fearful for the safety of his sister, Louise (Linda Winters) after he accidentally kills a rival gangster's son, who had tried to get fresh with Louise and wouldn't take no for an answer. Manny Robbins, the boy's grief crazed father, tries to kill Terris after his trial. Unbeknownst to Frankie, Louise, after promising to go on a European vacation, is also aboard the prison train and gets chummy with Adams, who does his best to protect her. Once on board the train, the film picks up - the dim lighting, which made the film look cheap is appropriate here. Clarence Muse has the role of Sam, whom Louise uses as a "go- between" - but he is not as unassuming as he seems. Interestingly, the titled forward portrays Terris as a rat and a weakling but he doesn't seem any worse in the film than some of the others (Manny Robbins and his son). Doroothy Comingore, known as Linda Winters for this film, did quite well as Louise Terris, sister of Frankie. This was one of her very few credited parts until "Citizen Kane", the reason she is remembered today.

Ralph Michael Stein "Prison Train" from 1938 was made on a small budget using largely "B" feature actors. And it was meant to be a second feature too. But this film rises above its often desultory although occasionally amusing pre-war genre counterparts. The acting is, overall, good and the plot original.Fred Keating is mobster boss Frankie Terris whose relationship with his kid sister, Louise, is very close. He's certainly overly protective. Louise is played with fine effect by Dorothy Comingore (under the name Linda Winters). She's aware of big brother's criminal activities but she also adores and trusts him. Finding a prosecutor's heat too uncomfortable, Frankie resolves to give away his numbers racket to a rival. Meeting with the fellow, Frankie brings his sister who is asked out by the instantly smitten rival's lawyer son. After a dancing date that guy returns Louise to the apartment she shares with her sibling and the censorious brother sees Louise rebuff an effort to kiss her. Angry, he follows the would-be suitor down an alley and in a fight kills him with a pipe.Frankie is sentenced to a long prison term at Alcatraz (the killing took place on post office property so it's a federal rap and federal time) and he and other convicts are put on a train for the long trip to the West Coast. The father of the slain Lothario vows that Frankie will never make it to Alcatraz and he follows the train with a gang, some on board and others keeping pace by car and Ford Tri-Motor.Frankie's sister manages to get on the train where she's befriended by an undercover officer who is there to insure her brother's safe delivery to prison. Frankie himself learns of the plot to kill him. He is not happy. In fact he's increasingly, would you believe, scared.In "Prison Train," unlike so many "B" films, tension actually builds up and the ending isn't clear at all - until the end. Very unusual for a pre-war movie, a black actor has a serious role, not a Steppin Fetchit-class harmless display of buffoonery to insure no bigot will be discomfited. Clarence Muse, a veteran actor eventually inducted into the Black Film-makers Hall of Fame, is a sinister dining car steward in league with the vengeful father. His role is important to the murder plot and he's not subordinated to the other criminals. Muse, who isn't too well known to most moviegoers, made very many films almost up to his 1979 death and he was a staunch advocate for equal opportunity for blacks.Comingore/Winters had real albeit modest talent that was silenced by the Cold War Hollywood witch hunt, another victim of a mad time.Train buffs will enjoy some nice footage of prewar rolling stock.Very worth seeing.Thanks, Alpha Video. (And I paid $4.99 for this DVD.)7/10

goblinhairedguy Considering its lowly production origins (Equity Pictures), this is a surprisingly tight, absorbing action picture with some good comic asides. Director Wiles, who also helmed several other fine B-pics (like The Gangster) keeps the film moving at a rapid pace without sacrificing character nuances and unexpected camera angles. The ending is a little abrupt, but still nifty. As always, Clarence Muse does an excellent turn with the little material provided in his pivotal part, and the comic relief gets off some good lines. Would make a fine double bill with The Narrow Margin or The Tall Target.