Unchained (film)

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Unchained
Directed by	Hall Bartlett
Produced by	Hall Bartlett
Written by	Screenplay by: Hall Bartlett Novel by: Kevin J. Scrudder
Starring	Elroy Hirsch Barbara Hale Chester Morris Todd Duncan Johnny Johnston Peggy Knudsen Jerry Paris John Qualen
Music by	Alex North (song "Unchained Melody")
Cinematography	Virgil E. Miller
Editing by	Cotton Warburton
Distributed by	Warner Bros. Pictures
Release date(s)	January 19, 1955 (USA)
Running time	75 min.
Language	English
IMDb profile

Unchained is a 1955 prison film based on the non-fiction book Prisoners are People by Kenyon J. Scudder. The film is the origin of the song "Unchained Melody".

The film was based on the career of Kenyon J. Scudder, former supervisor at Chino, as detailed in Scudder's book. Most of the scenes were actually filmed on location at the prison. Former football player Elroy "Crazylegs" Hirsch played the lead character, while other inmates were played by Chester Morris and Jerry Paris (later of The Dick Van Dyke Show), among others. Others in the cast included Peggy Knudsen and Barbara Hale, who appeared as women visiting the prisoners. Hale went on to star as Della Street in the long running Perry Mason television series.

The film was originally released by Warner Bros. Pictures in 1955 and is believed to be in the public domain as the copyright has expired. Though the copyright expired many years earlier, it was renewed in the 1980s by National Telefilm Associates, the rights to the film are now owned by Paramount Pictures.^[1]

1 Plot synopsis
2 Oscar nomination
3 Trivia
4 References

[edit] Plot synopsis

Steve Davitt is in a medium security prison and is struggling with two options: finishing his sentence and seeing his wife and family or escaping the prison.

[edit] Oscar nomination

Best Music, Original Song: "Unchained Melody" - Music by Alex North; Lyrics by Hy Zaret

[edit] Trivia

Jazz musician Dexter Gordon has a small, uncredited role in the film, that of a saxophone player in the prison jazz band. The film was shot at the correctional facility in Chino, California, where Gordon was then serving time for possession of heroin.