Brute Force

Director Jules Dassin’s powerful, noir-flavored drama stars Burt Lancaster as Joe Collins, an embittered inmate at Westgate Prison, where tensions have brought the institution to a boil. With a sick wife (Ann Blyth) at home, Collins launches a desperate breakout scheme with his cellblockmates, while a sadistic, power-crazed guard (Hume Cronyn) stands in their way. Scripted by Richard Brooks and co-starring Charles Bickford, Sam Levene, Howard Duff, and Yvonne De Carlo. 98 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English.