jacobs-greenwood Directed by Lloyd Bacon with a screenplay by Peter Milne and Humphrey Cobb from the story by Robert Tasker and John Bright, this average prison drama features Pat O'Brien as an army officer – Stephen Jameson – hired to improve the conditions at the titled prison.The inmates had been being treated badly by the acting captain, hard-nosed Lieutenant Druggin (Barton MacLane), whose quick trigger solution to every problem is lockup in solitary confinement. The warden (Joseph King) tries a new approach using Jameson who, coincidentally, is dating inmate Joe 'Red' Kennedy's (Humphrey Bogart) sister May (Ann Sheridan).Red has a pretty quick temper himself until Jameson's reforms – which include identifying and separating the career criminals from those who've just had tough breaks – begin to soften his hard edge. Just when it seems that Red is content to serve out the rest of his time peacefully, 'Sailor Boy' Hansen (Joseph Sawyer) turns his loyalties, with help from the jealous Lieutenant Druggin.Veda Ann Borg plays Hansen's girl on the outside; she helps Red and Sailor Boy escape. Marc Lawrence also appears, as do Frank Faylen and Edward Gargan (both uncredited) among many others.

Edgar Allan Pooh . . . as Humphrey Bogart, born in 1899, pretends to be a 25-year-old (apparently stricken with one of those premature aging diseases). A chain smoker, Bogart could more plausibly pass for 60 than 25 at this point in his film career. To rub salt in viewers' wounded sensibilities, the plot of SAN QUENTIN is a garble of Sunday School hogwash, no doubt scribbled out during rest breaks from Latin recitals. Bogart's character "Kennedy" could have seen his son become a U.S. president. Instead, minions of the lemon-sucking One Per Cent, represented here by "Steve Jameson" (Pat O'Brien) glory in their hypocrisy while wallowing in corruption as great as that found in present day Russia or China. Jameson makes one desperate attempt after another to charm the bloomers off Kennedy's sister, in a clear conflict of interest with his duties as guard captain at Kennedy's prison. He sets up Kennedy's escape, then lies to uniform cops to aid and abet a fleeing felon. (If this is not a Capital Crime, then there's no justice in America.) Since the bozos on the ecclesiastical board of U.S. Censors contend that they have a Divine Dispensation to overlook all sins of the Rich, they felt no qualms in letting Mr. O'Brien's Lord Fauntleroy character come out smelling like a rose at the end of his crime spree which resulted in Kennedy's and others' deaths. When you're wondering how America could build up so much Bad Karma to deserve the horrible losses we suffered in WWII, you need not look much beyond SAN QUENTIN.

JohnHowardReid Although it stars Pat O'Brien, Humphrey Bogart, Ann Sheridan and Barton MacLane, this is actually a minor prison feature. The plot comes across as both tediously slow and thoroughly routine, the direction (Lloyd Bacon) ordinary, and the plot fade-out (screenplay by Peter Milne and Humphrey Cobb) corny. On the other hand, there is one spurt of exciting action with a prison break and a high speed car chase. Bogart has a large, characteristic 1930's role. The other players are hampered by the wordy script. O'Brien brings little of his usual color to his performance here, while Sheridan looks far more attractive in the movie's poster than she does in the actual picture. And she's given only one song – and a totally unmemorable number it is at that! MacLane tries to make his role seem more important and attention-getting by way over-acting and constant shouting. But Joe Sawyer is effective in a larger part than usual, while Joseph King is his usual competent self as Warden Taylor. Other roles are small but capably played. Sets are large and realistic, though a fair amount of stock footage is employed. There is a bit of poor process work. Bacon's direction is effective in the action scenes. We like the way he uses tracking shots through crowds of convicts, but he does nothing to enliven the many dull dialogue exchanges. Sid Hickox's photography does not treat Miss Sheridan too kindly (nor does her make-up, hair style or costumes). Other credits are okay, though why so many – Heinz Roemheld, Charles Maxwell and David Raksin – were needed on the nondescript music score is a mystery. Production values are moderate. But perhaps the worst feature of this picture is that it ends suddenly and abruptly.

stevenfallonnyc "San Quentin" is definitely nothing special. Nothing so horrible, but nothing that stands out.The main attraction here is simply to watch Bogie do his thing. He plays the punk brother of the girl (Ann Sheridan) who the new prison yard top guy (Pat O'Brien) falls for. So O'Brien has a soft spot for Bogie despite him (O'Brian) being a tough as nails no-nonsense guy.Ann Sheridan is one of the most beautiful actresses of the 30's so she is always fun to watch. Seeing O'Brien act a bit tough is always fun because he's so low-key most of the time, when he actually gets mad and shouts he's kinda funny, in a good way. And Bogie is Bogie, acting tough and being cool.Definitely worth watching to see these three old pros, nothing much else here otherwise.