| Caged | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | John Cromwell |
| Produced by | Jerry Wald |
| Written by | Virginia Kellogg Bernard C. Schoenfeld |
| Starring | Eleanor Parker Agnes Moorehead Ellen Corby Hope Emerson |
| Music by | Max Steiner |
| Cinematography | Carl E. Guthrie |
| Editing by | Owen Marks |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
| Release date(s) | May 19, 1950 |
| Running time | 96 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Caged is a 1950 film released by Warner Bros.[1][2] and starring Eleanor Parker. The movie tells the story of a teenage newlywed, who is sent to prison for being an accessory to a robbery. Her experiences while incarcerated, along with the killing of her husband, change her from a very frightened young girl into a hardened convict.
The movie was adapted by Virginia Kellogg from the story Women Without Men by Kellogg and Bernard C. Schoenfeld and was directed by John Cromwell. The studio had originally intended it as a vehicle for Bette Davis and Joan Crawford earlier but Davis had noted that she didn't want to make a "dyke movie" and turned it down.
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A married 19-year-old (played by Eleanor Parker) named Marie Allen is sent to prison, after a botched armed robbery attempt with her equally young husband, Tom (who is killed). While receiving her prison physical, she finds out that she is two months pregnant. Despite the hardships she is put through under Matron Evelyn Harper (Hope Emerson), she gives birth to a healthy baby and wants to "temporarily" grant full custody to her mother. The intent is to get the baby back after she is released. However, her mother informs Marie that her callous step-father has decided that under no circumstances will he allow the baby into his house, and she uses the excuses that she's "too old" and "hasn't a penny in [her] name" as reasons why she can't leave him and help Marie. The prison is forced to permanently give the child up for adoption. Marie never sees her baby again. After her exposure to hardened criminals and sadistic prison guards, by the end of the film she leaves prison a hardened woman with debts to the criminals who helped get her released from jail.
It was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Actress in a Leading Role (Eleanor Parker), Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Hope Emerson) and Best Writing, Story and Screenplay.