Prison Farm (1938)
A taut 1938 Paramount crime drama in which an innocent woman pays a devastating price for her criminal boyfriend's misdeeds.
Prison Farm - Movie Information
- Release Year: 1938
- Directed by: Louis King
- Type: Movie
- Genres: Drama, Crime
- Age Rating (US): NR
- Runtime: 1h 7m
- Original Language: English
- Spoken Languages: English
- Release Date (Theatrical): June 17, 1938 (United States - NR)
- Production Companies: Paramount Pictures
- Production Countries: United States of America
Prison Farm - Plot
Shirley Ross plays an innocent young girl convicted for complicity in a crime committed by her boy friend (Lloyd Nolan). The male crook is sentence to six months on a prison farm populated by both men and women (segregated, of course). Ross is also incarcerated, suffering the cruelties of the sadistic male and female guards (including J. Carroll Naish and future "Ma Kettle" Marjorie Main!)
Prison Farm - Cast & Crew
Director(s)
- Louis King
Main Cast
- Shirley Ross
- Lloyd Nolan
- John Howard
- J. Carrol Naish
- Porter Hall
- Esther Dale
- May Boley
- Marjorie Main
- Anna Q. Nilsson
- Robert Brister
Writers
- Edwin V. Westrate
- Stuart Anthony
- Eddie Welch
- Robert Yost
Prison Farm - FAQs
What is Prison Farm (1938) about?
Prison Farm follows an innocent young woman wrongly convicted for her boyfriend's crime and sent to a co-ed prison farm. There, she endures the brutality of sadistic guards, including future character actors J. Carrol Naish and Marjorie Main, in this tense Paramount crime drama.
Who directed Prison Farm?
Prison Farm was directed by Louis King, a prolific Hollywood filmmaker of the 1930s and 1940s known for his work on genre pictures at major studios including Paramount Pictures.
Who are the main actors in Prison Farm?
The film stars Shirley Ross as the wrongly convicted Jean Forest and Lloyd Nolan as her criminal boyfriend Larry Harrison. The supporting cast includes John Howard, J. Carrol Naish, Porter Hall, Esther Dale, May Boley, and Marjorie Main as the formidable Matron Brand.
When was Prison Farm released?
Prison Farm was released on June 17, 1938, in the United States. It was produced and distributed by Paramount Pictures during the height of Hollywood's classic studio era.
Is Prison Farm based on a true story?
Prison Farm is not based on a specific true story. It is a fictional crime drama written by Edwin V. Westrate, Stuart Anthony, Eddie Welch, and Robert Yost, though it reflects broader social anxieties of the 1930s about prison conditions and the vulnerability of women in the justice system.
What is the age rating for Prison Farm?
Prison Farm carries a Not Rated (NR) classification, as it predates the modern MPA rating system. Released in 1938, the film was produced under the Hollywood Production Code, which governed content standards for American films of that era.
How long is Prison Farm?
Prison Farm has a runtime of 67 minutes, making it a compact and efficiently paced crime drama typical of Paramount's B-picture productions from the late 1930s.
What is notable about the cast of Prison Farm?
A standout element of Prison Farm is its supporting cast. Marjorie Main, later beloved as Ma Kettle in the Ma and Pa Kettle series, appears as the harsh Matron Brand. J. Carrol Naish, a prolific character actor and multiple Oscar nominee, plays a sadistic guard named Noel Haskins.
More About Prison Farm
Explore further details and databases for Prison Farm (1938).